Usage Bibliometrics

Scholarly usage data provides unique opportunities to address the known shortcomings of citation analysis. However, the collection, processing and analysis of usage data remains an area of active research. This article provides a review of the state-of-the-art in usage-based informetric, i.e. the use of usage data to study the scholarly process.Comment: Publisher's PDF (by permission). Publisher web site: books.infotoday.com/asist/arist44.shtm

CAPITAL SERVICES IN ARGENTINA. METHODOLOGY OF ESTIMATION AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH DURING THE 1990?s. A hedonic valuation approach

This paper proposes to analyze the methodology of estimation of capital services in Argentina and its impact in the performance of the productivity growth during the 1990's. The capital stock is estimated according to the recommendations of the recent economic literature, mainly the OECD Capital Stock Manual; regarding how to use the hedonic valuation method (HV) to test the empirical depreciation of capital goods using a high desegregate data instead of the most known Perpetual Inventory Method (PIM) without empirical support. It is also presented a theoretical analysis about the methodological problems of both methods pointed out by the economic literature: the several assumptions in the PIM and the information problems regarding the use of traded used market prices in the HV case. The level of capital stock estimation is founded macroeconomic consistent with the principal national accounts aggregates. Taking into account the main recommendations of the OECD Productivity Manual and the OECD Capital Stock Manual, the paper reviews the proposals of estimation of capital services: efficiency-age profiles, level of aggregation, index number problem and the user cost approach in the context of their application of empirical estimation in Argentina. Given the relevance and dynamism of capital stock services for growth processes, an accurate measurement of this variable is critical. Thus, heterogeneity acquires more relevance, as well as the type of weights and the index numbers used to estimate its contribution to output. According to these results, evidences may indicate that during the nineties there was no productivity gain in the sense of Solow in Argentina. In any case, it may be inferred that the profile of economic growth was of the extensive type based on the accumulation of capital rather than disembodied technological progress or non-pecuniary spillovers. Este trabajo tiene por objeto presentar la metodología y principales resultados de una estimaciónexhaustiva de los servicios y valor del stock de capital de Argentina que el autor está llevando a cabo enla Dirección Nacional de Cuentas Nacionales de este país así como también se presenta el impacto deestas estimaciones en el análisis del crecimiento de la productividad de la economía argentina durante ladécada de 1990. El stock de capital es estimado de acuerdo a las recomendaciones de la literaturaeconómica reciente, principalmente el reciente Manual de Stock de Capital de la OECD, en el sentido deutilizar el Método de Valuación Hedónica (HV), en lugar de los supuestos que implica el conocidoMétodo de Inventario Permanente (PIM), con el objeto de testear empíricamente la depreciación y la vidaútil media de los activos producidos tomando en cuenta información detallada y exhaustiva de más decien tipologías de bienes de capital. Se analizan los problemas metodológicos de ambos métodosseñalados por la teoría económica: los supuestos en el PIM y los problemas de información que surgen enel HV cuando se utilizan precios de transacción del mercado de bienes durables usados. El nivel del stockde capital estimado para Argentina resulta consistente con los principales agregados macroeconómicos.Con el objeto de estimar la productividad, este paper revisa los principales problemas metodológicos delproceso de estimación de los servicios de capital en el contexto del caso argentino, tomando en cuenta lasprincipales recomendaciones del reciente Manual de Productividad de la OECD en cuanto a: perfilesetarios de eficiencia, nivel de agregación, números índices y costo de uso. Dada la relevancia ydinamismo de los servicios de capital en el contexto de la contabilidad del crecimiento de la economíaargentina, la medición precisa de esta variable constituye un punto crucial. La evidencia empíricaindicaría que para la economía argentina, las ganancias de productividad en el sentido de Solow fueronnulas durante la década de los noventa. Se podría inferir que el crecimiento de la economía argentina fuedel tipo extensivo basado en la acumulación de capital más que en el progreso técnico desincorporado,rendimientos crecientes o externalidades no pecuniarias.stock de capital, precios hedónicos, servicios de capital, productividad capital stock, hedonic prices, capital services, productivity

A Review of Theory and Practice in Scientometrics

Scientometrics is the study of the quantitative aspects of the process of science as a communication system. It is centrally, but not only, concerned with the analysis of citations in the academic literature. In recent years it has come to play a major role in the measurement and evaluation of research performance. In this review we consider: the historical development of scientometrics, sources of citation data, citation metrics and the “laws" of scientometrics, normalisation, journal impact factors and other journal metrics, visualising and mapping science, evaluation and policy, and future developments

A review of the characteristics of 108 author-level bibliometric indicators

An increasing demand for bibliometric assessment of individuals has led to a growth of new bibliometric indicators as well as new variants or combinations of established ones. The aim of this review is to contribute with objective facts about the usefulness of bibliometric indicators of the effects of publication activity at the individual level. This paper reviews 108 indicators that can potentially be used to measure performance on the individual author level, and examines the complexity of their calculations in relation to what they are supposed to reflect and ease of end-user application.Comment: to be published in Scientometrics, 201

Human capital, social capital and scientific research in Europe: an application of linear hierarchical models

The theory of human capital is one way to explain individual decisions to produce scientific research. However, this theory, even if it reckons the importance of time in science, is too short for explaining the existing diversity of scientific output. The present paper introduces the social capital of Bourdieu (1980), Coleman (1988) and Putnam (1995) as a necessary complement to explain the creation of scientific human capital. This paper connects these two concepts by means of a hierarchical econometric model which makes the distinction between the individual level (human capital) and the cluster level of departments (social capital). The paper shows how a collection of variables can be built from a bibliographic data base indicating both individual behaviour including mobility and collective characteristics of the department housing individual researchers. The two level hierarchical model is estimated on fourteen European countries using bibliometric data in the fields of economics.Economics of science; human capital; social capital; hierarchical models; European science

Daylight and Architectural Simulation of the Egebjerg School (Denmark): Sustainable Features of a New Type of Skylight

This article discusses the performance of a new skylight for standard classrooms at the Egebjerg School (Denmark), which was built ca. 1970. This building underwent important reforms under a European project to which the authors contributed. This research aimed to create a new skylight prototype that is useful for several schools in the vicinity, since there is a lack of educational facilities. The former skylights consisted of plastic pyramids that presented serious disadvantages in terms of sustainability matters. During the design process, the priority changed to studying the factors that correlate daylighting with energy and other environmental aspects in a holistic and evocative approach. Accordingly, the new skylight features promote the admittance and di usion of solar energy through adroit guidance systems. In order to simulate di erent scenarios, we employed our own simulation tool, Diana X. This research-oriented software works with the e ects of direct solar energy that are mostly avoided in conventional programs. By virtue of Lambert’s reciprocity theorem, our procedure, which was based on innovative equations of radiative transfer, converts the energy received by di usive surfaces into luminous exitance for all types of architectural elements. Upon completion of the skylights, we recorded onsite measurements, which roughly coincided with the simulation data. Thus, conditions throughout the year improved

Human capital, social capital and scientific research in Europe: an application of linear hierarchical models

The theory of human capital is one way to explain individual decisions to produce scientific research. However, this theory, even if it reckons the importance of time in science, is too short for explaining the existing diversity of scientific output. The present paper introduces the social capital of Bourdieu (1980), Coleman (1988) and Putnam (1995) as a necessary complement to explain the creation of scientific human capital. This paper connects these two concepts by means of a hierarchical econometric model which makes the distinction between the individual level (human capital) and the cluster level of departments (social capital). The paper shows how a collection of variables can be built from a bibliographic data base indicating both individual behaviour including mobility and collective characteristics of the department housing individual researchers. The two level hierarchical model is estimated on fourteen European countries using bibliometric data in the fields of economics

Determinants of the international influence of a R&D organisation: a bibliometric approach

Traditionally, studies on the influence and impact of knowledge-producing organisations have been addressed by means of strict economic analysis, stressing their economic impact to a local, regional or national extent. In the present study, an alternative methodology is put forward in order to evaluate the international scientific impact and influence of a knowledge-producing and -diffusing institution. We introduce a new methodology, based on scientometric and bibliometric tools, which complement traditional assessments by considering the influence of a R&D institution when looking at the scientific production undertaken and the recognition of its relevance by its international peer community. Focusing on the most prolific scientific areas of INESC Porto, and resorting to published scientific work recorded in the Science Citation Index (SCI), we show that INESC Porto has enlarged its international scientific network. The logit estimations demonstrate that the wide geographical influence of INESC Porto scientific research is a result not of its international positioning in terms of co-authorships, but rather a result of the quality of its scientific output.Impact and influence assessment methods; R&D Institutions; Bibliometrics, Scientometrics; knowledge network; INESC Porto

Measuring the Returns to R&D

We review the econometric literature on measuring the returns to R&D. The theoretical frameworks that have been used are outlined, followed by an extensive discussion of measurement and econometric issues that arise when estimating the models. We then provide a series of tables summarizing the major results that have been obtained and conclude with a presentation of R&D spillover returns measurement. In general, the private returns to R&D are strongly positive and somewhat higher than those for ordinary capital, while the social returns are even higher, although variable and imprecisely measured in many cases. Nous faisons un survol de la littérature économétrique qui mesure les rendements de la recherche-développement. Nous esquissons les modèles théoriques sousjacents et nous discutons en détail les problèmes de mesure et d’économétrie qui se posent quand il s’agit d’estimer ces modèles. Ensuite, nous présentons une série de tableaux qui résument les principaux résultats qui ont été obtenus et nous finissons par une discussion des mesures d’externalité de la recherche. En général, les rendements privés de la recherche sont positifs et légèrement plus élevés que ceux de l’investissement en capital physique et les taux de rendement sociaux de la R-D sont encore plus élevés, mais fragiles et imprécis.returns to R&D, innovation, social returns, spillovers, rendements de la R&D, innovation, rendements sociaux, externalités