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A forward diversity index

Author

Listed:
  • Stephen Carley

    (Georgia Institute of Technology)

  • Alan L. Porter

    (Georgia Institute of Technology
    Search Technology Inc.)

Abstract

We introduce an indicator to measure the diffusion of scientific research. Consistent with Stirling’s 3-factor diversity model, the diffusion score captures not only variety and balance, but also disparity among citing article cohorts. We apply it to benchmark article samples from six 1995 Web of Science subject categories (SCs) to trace trends in knowledge diffusion over time since publication. Findings indicate that, for most SCs, diffusion scores steadily increase with time. Mathematics is an outlier. We employ a typology of citation trends among benchmark SCs and correlate this with diffusion scores. We also find that self-cites do not, in most cases, significantly influence diffusion scores.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen Carley & Alan L. Porter, 2012. "A forward diversity index," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 90(2), pages 407-427, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:90:y:2012:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-011-0528-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-011-0528-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Loet Leydesdorff & Stephen Carley & Ismael Rafols, 2013. "Global maps of science based on the new Web-of-Science categories," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 94(2), pages 589-593, February.
    4. Seokbeom Kwon & Alan Porter & Jan Youtie, 2016. "Navigating the innovation trajectories of technology by combining specialization score analyses for publications and patents: graphene and nano-enabled drug delivery," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 106(3), pages 1057-1071, March.
    5. Ricardo Arencibia-Jorge & Rosa Lidia Vega-Almeida & José Luis Jiménez-Andrade & Humberto Carrillo-Calvet, 2022. "Evolutionary stages and multidisciplinary nature of artificial intelligence research," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(9), pages 5139-5158, September.
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    7. Bei Zeng & Haihua Lyu & Zhenyue Zhao & Jiang Li, 2021. "Exploring the direction and diversity of interdisciplinary knowledge diffusion: A case study of professor Zeyuan Liu's scientific publications," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(7), pages 6253-6272, July.
    8. Jon Garner & Alan L. Porter & Nils C. Newman, 2014. "Distance and velocity measures: using citations to determine breadth and speed of research impact," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 100(3), pages 687-703, September.
    9. Yoshi-aki Shimada & Jun Suzuki, 2017. "Promoting scientodiversity inspired by biodiversity," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 113(3), pages 1463-1479, December.
    10. Xuefeng Wang & Zhinan Wang & Ying Huang & Yun Chen & Yi Zhang & Huichao Ren & Rongrong Li & Jinhui Pang, 2017. "Measuring interdisciplinarity of a research system: detecting distinction between publication categories and citation categories," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 111(3), pages 2023-2039, June.
    11. Silva, F.N. & Rodrigues, F.A. & Oliveira, O.N. & da F. Costa, L., 2013. "Quantifying the interdisciplinarity of scientific journals and fields," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 469-477.
    12. Solomon, Gregg E.A. & Youtie, Jan & Carley, Stephen & Porter, Alan L., 2019. "What people learn about how people learn: An analysis of citation behavior and the multidisciplinary flow of knowledge," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(9), pages 1-1.
    13. Fontana, Magda & Iori, Martina & Leone Sciabolazza, Valerio & Souza, Daniel, 2022. "The interdisciplinarity dilemma: Public versus private interests," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(7).
    14. Andrea Bonaccorsi & Nicola Melluso & Francesco Alessandro Massucci, 2022. "Exploring the antecedents of interdisciplinarity at the European Research Council: a topic modeling approach," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(12), pages 6961-6991, December.
    15. Yi Bu & Mengyang Li & Weiye Gu & Win‐bin Huang, 2021. "Topic diversity: A discipline scheme‐free diversity measurement for journals," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 72(5), pages 523-539, May.
    16. Wang L. & Coccia M., 2015. "Evolutionary convergence of the patterns of international research collaborations across scientific fields," MERIT Working Papers 2015-011, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    17. Stephen F. Carley & Seokbeom Kwon & Alan L. Porter & Jan L. Youtie, 2019. "The relationship between forward and backward diversity in CORE datasets," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 120(3), pages 961-974, September.
    18. Leydesdorff, Loet & Wagner, Caroline S. & Bornmann, Lutz, 2019. "Interdisciplinarity as diversity in citation patterns among journals: Rao-Stirling diversity, relative variety, and the Gini coefficient," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 255-269.

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