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A Bibliometric Study of the Publication Patterns in the Sciences of South African Scholars 1981–96

Author

Listed:
  • Daisy Jacobs

    (University of Transkei)

  • Peter Ingwersen

    (University of Transkei
    Royal School of Library and Information Science)

Abstract

The paper is a bibliometric study of the publication patterns and impact of South African scientists 1981–96, with special emphasis on the period 1992–96. The subject fields surveyed are Physics; Chemistry, Plant and Animal Sciences; and Biochemistry/Microbiology. Scientists were selected from the ten universities of the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal, which vary considerably, with respect to standards of education, quantity of publications, development and overall progress. The general purpose is two-fold: 1) to observe the publication and citation trends during 1981–96, a period which covers significant policy changes in the country, in particular the end of apartheid 1994; within this context 2) to investigate the patterns used by scientists 1992–96 from these different institutions in publishing the results of their research in the form of conference papers or (inter)national journals. The study collected two sets of data through a scientometric analysis of Science Citation Index and a questionnaire. With the exception of Physics, the results demonstrate a decreasing South African world share, in particular for Plant & Animal Sc. publications, and a similar decline of citations starting in 1986/87. Further, the citation impact relative to the world, after a substantial drop 1985–93 probably representing the international embargo period, in 1994–96 reaches the same level as observed in 1985–89. Also, the study shows that there is a direct relation between academic position, research experience and productivity among South African Scientists in the four scientific disciplines.

Suggested Citation

  • Daisy Jacobs & Peter Ingwersen, 2000. "A Bibliometric Study of the Publication Patterns in the Sciences of South African Scholars 1981–96," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 47(1), pages 75-93, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:47:y:2000:i:1:d:10.1023_a:1005617825947
    DOI: 10.1023/A:1005617825947
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Peter Ingwersen, 1999. "On-line indicators of Danish biomedical publication behaviour 1988–96: international visibility, impact and co-operation in a Scandinavian and world context," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 8(1), pages 39-45, April.
    2. P. Ingwersen & Irene Wormell, 1999. "Publication behaviour and international impact: Scandinavian clinical and social medicine, 1988–96," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 46(3), pages 487-499, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Radhamany Sooryamoorthy, 2010. "Science and scientific collaboration in South Africa: apartheid and after," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(2), pages 373-390, August.
    2. Grant Lewison, 2002. "Researchers" and users" perceptions of the relative standing of biomedical papers in different journals," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 53(2), pages 229-240, February.
    3. Radhamany Sooryamoorthy, 2009. "Do types of collaboration change citation? Collaboration and citation patterns of South African science publications," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 81(1), pages 177-193, October.
    4. Radhamany Sooryamoorthy, 2009. "Collaboration and publication: How collaborative are scientists in South Africa?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 80(2), pages 419-439, August.
    5. Robert J. W. Tijssen, 2007. "Africa’s contribution to the worldwide research literature: New analytical perspectives, trends, and performance indicators," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 71(2), pages 303-327, May.
    6. Nora Narváez-Berthelemot & Jane M. Russell & Rigas Arvanitis & Roland Waast & Jacques Gaillard, 2002. "Science in Africa: An overview of mainstream scientific output," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 54(2), pages 229-241, June.
    7. Christian Schneijderberg & Nicolai Götze & Lars Müller, 2022. "A study of 25 years of publication outputs in the German academic profession," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(1), pages 1-28, January.
    8. H. Martinez & A. Jaime & J. Camacho, 2014. "Biotechnology profile analysis in Colombia," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 101(3), pages 1789-1804, December.
    9. Radhamany Sooryamoorthy, 2010. "Medical research in South Africa: a scientometric analysis of trends, patterns, productivity and partnership," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(3), pages 863-885, September.
    10. Peter Ingwersen & Daisy Jacobs, 2004. "South African research in selected scientific areas: Status 1981–2000," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 59(3), pages 405-423, March.
    11. Torben Schubert & Radhamany Sooryamoorthy, 2010. "Can the centre–periphery model explain patterns of international scientific collaboration among threshold and industrialised countries? The case of South Africa and Germany," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 83(1), pages 181-203, April.
    12. Pin-Hua Lin & Jong-Rong Chen & Chih-Hai Yang, 2014. "Academic research resources and academic quality: a cross-country analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 101(1), pages 109-123, October.
    13. Alan Peter Matthews, 2013. "Physics publication productivity in South African universities," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 95(1), pages 69-86, April.
    14. Jamali, Seyedh Mahboobeh & Md Zain, Ahmad Nurulazam & Samsudin, Mohd Ali & Ale Ebrahim, Nader, 2015. "Publication Trends in Physics Education: A Bibliometric study," MPRA Paper 79524, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2015.

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