The development of computer science research in the People's Republic of China 2000-2009: A bibliometric study

This paper reports a bibliometric study of the development of computer science research in the People's Republic of China in the 21st century, using data from the Web of Science, Journal Citation Reports and CORE databases. Focusing on the areas of data mining, operating systems and web design, it is shown that whilst the productivity of Chinese research has risen dramatically over the period under review, its impact is still low when compared with established scientific nations such as the USA, the UK and Japan. The publication and citation data for China are compared with corresponding data for the other three BRIC nations (Brazil, Russian and India). It is shown that China dominates the BRIC nations in terms of both publications and citations, but that Indian publications often have a greater individual impact. © The Author(s) 2012

MAJOR TRENDS IN LIS RESEARCH: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

This study provides an overview of the Library and Information Science (LIS) research from 1980 through 2017. We employ bibliometric and text mining analyses on a sample of 500 most cited articles to examine the impact of factors such as number of authors, enhanced institutions, document types and keywords on the number of citations that they received. We also investigate major trends in LIS research literature including contribution of different countries, variations across publication years and identifying active research areas and major journal outlets. This study serves as a resource for future studies on LIS trends demonstrating the attributes of the most cited articles in this literature. Specifically our result shows that the most cited articles are from USA, England and China. In Africa, South Africa and Nigeria are among the top 25 countries that are productive in LIS research. The most prolific year in terms of the number of published articles is in 2016 and the total number of citation is 51,589. We also found a positive and statistically significant relationship between the number of publications’ keyword, and the number of citations that they have received. Keywords analysis reveals that LIS research in combination of (academic libraries, information literacy, bibliometric, citation analysis, Open Access) and few others will be future research trends in LIS-related fields. Results obtained from this study can provide valuable information for researchers to better identify future hotspots in LIS-related disciplines

Evaluating the Lisbon strategy

The Lisbon Strategy (hereafter LiS) was formally introduced by the special European Council in Lisbon in March 2000. European leaders adopted this strategy with the objective of turning the EU into "…the most dynamic and competitive knowledge economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion and respect for the environment". This strategy constituted the blueprint for European economic policymaking from 2000 to 2010. Since its inception the LiS has been the subject of numerous publications and debates. Yet, surprisingly it has never been subjected to a detailed evaluation. Most publications merely evaluate selected aspects or annual progress, ultimately remaining inconclusive. The immediate added value of this paper is the provision of a more consistent and convincing answer to the question "Was the Lisbon Strategy successful?". It will be demonstrated that vital questions have remained unanswered and that many potential lessons have never been learned. Consequently, the successor strategy of the LiS, the so-called "Europe 2020" strategy, is condemned to repeat past mistakes. Contemporary discussions, such as "Europe 2020 a promising strategy?" (Intereconomics, Volume 45, Number 3, May/June 2010), exhibit an untoward optimism regarding Europe 2020. Documenting the failure of the LiS, this paper illustrates the need to critically reassess the merit of Europe 2020. The first section presents a concise analysis of the most popular evaluations - identifying the main caveats. Addressing these caveats, the second section outlines a new assessment framework for evaluating the success of the LiS. In the third section the framework is applied. The fourth section concludes by discussing unanswered questions. --

Enclosure and open access in communication scholarship

The current state of scholarly communication is one of contest between an increasingly commercial system that is dysfunctional and incompatible with the basic aims of scholarship, and emerging alternatives, particularly open access publishing and open access archiving. Two approaches to facilitating global participation in scholarly communication are contrasted in this paper; equity is seen as a superior goal to the donor model, which requires poverty or inequity to succeed. The current state of scholarly communication within the discipline of communication is examined. Journal publishing in communication shows a greater diversity of ownership and less commercial concentration than scholarly publishing overall; this, and the at least 76 fully open access journals in this area suggest strong potential for emancipating scholarship in communication from commercial imperatives. Specific sites of struggle and actions for scholars, including developing open access journals and self-archiving, are presented

ADB–OECD Study on Enhancing Financial Accessibility for SMEs: Lessons from Recent Crises

During the era of global financial uncertainty, stable access to appropriate funding sources has been much harder for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The global financial crisis impacted SMEs and entrepreneurs disproportionately, exacerbating their traditional financing constraints. The financial conditions of many SMEs were weakened by the drop in demand for goods and services and the credit tightening. The sovereign debt crisis that hit several European countries contributed to further deterioration in bank lending activities, which negatively affected private sector development. The global regulatory response to financial crises, such as the Basel Capital Accord, while designed to reduce systemic risks may also constrain bank lending to SMEs. In particular, Basel III requires banks to have tighter risk management as well as greater capital and liquidity. Resulting asset preference and deleveraging of banks, particularly European banks with significant presence in Asia, could limit the availability of funding for SMEs in Asia and the Pacific. Lessons from the recent financial crises have motivated many countries to consider SME access to finance beyond conventional bank credit and to diversify their national financial system. Improving SME access to finance is a policy priority at the country and global level. Poor access to finance is a critical inhibiting factor to the survival and growth potential of SMEs. Financial inclusion is thus key to the development of the SME sector, which is a driver of job creation and social cohesion and takes a pivotal role in scaling up national economies. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have recognized that it is crucial to develop a comprehensive range of policy options on SME finance, including innovative financing models. With this in mind, sharing Asian and OECD experiences on SME financing would result in insightful discussions on improving SME access to finance at a time of global financial uncertainty. Based on intensive discussions in two workshops organized by ADB in Manila on 6–7 March 2013 and by OECD in Paris on 21 October 2013, the two organizations together compiled this study report on enhancing financial accessibility for SMEs, especially focusing on lessons from the past and recent crises in Asia and OECD countries. The report takes a comparative look at ADB and OECD experiences, and aims to identify promising policy solutions for creating an SME base that is resilient to crisis, from a viewpoint of access to finance, and which can help drive growth and development

U.S. Health Care Spending: Comparison with Other OECD Countries

[Excerpt] The United States spends more money on health care than any other country in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD consists of 30 democracies, most of which are considered the most economically advanced countries in the world. According to OECD data, the United States spent $6,102 per capita on health care in 2004 — more than double the OECD average and 19.9% more than Luxembourg, the second-highest spending country. In 2004, 15.3% of the U.S. economy was devoted to health care, compared with 8.9% in the average OECD country and 11.6% in second-placed Switzerland. Why does the United States spend this amount on health care? Economists break health care spending into two parts: price and quantity (which includes the number of visits to health care providers and the intensity of those visits). In terms of quantity, OECD data indicate that the United States has far fewer doctor visits per person compared with the OECD average; for hospitalizations, the United States ranks well below the OECD and is roughly comparable in terms of length of hospital stays. The intensity of service delivery is a different story: the United States uses more of the newest medical technologies and performs several invasive procedures (such as coronary bypasses and angioplasties) more frequently than the average OECD country. In terms of price, the OECD has stated that there is no doubt that U.S. prices for medical care commodities and services are significantly higher than in other countries and serve as a key determinant of higher overall spending. What does the United States get for the money it spends? Said slightly differently, does the United States get corresponding value from the money it spends on health care? The available data often do not provide clear answers. For example, among OECD countries in 2004, the United States had shorter-than-average life expectancy and higher-than-average mortality rates. Does this mean that the U.S. system is inefficient in light of how much is spent on health care? Or does this reflect the greater prevalence of certain diseases in the United States (the United States has the highest incidence of cancer and AIDS in the OECD) and less healthy lifestyles (the United States has the highest obesity rates in the OECD)? These are some of the issues that confound international comparisons. However, research comparing the quality of care has not found the United States to be superior overall. Nor does the U.S. population have substantially better access to health care resources, even putting aside the issue of the uninsured. Although the United States does not have long wait times for non-emergency surgeries, unlike some OECD countries, Americans found it more difficult to make same-day doctor’s appointments when sick and had the most difficulty getting care on nights and weekends. They were also most likely to delay or forgo treatment because of cost. The OECD data and other research provide some insight as to why health care spending is higher in the United States than in other countries, although many difficult research issues remain. This report presents some of the available data and research and concludes with a summary of study findings

Exploring the Role of Academic Social Networking Sites Amongst LIS Professionals: A Meta-Narrative Review

Academic Social Networking Sites (ASNS) has revolutionized the concept of knowledge sharing and publication pattern in academia. It offers a new paradigm to interrelate research scientists globally, influencing research communities\u27 structure and crescendos (dynamics). This changing trend has attracted considerable attention in the research domain and the consequent impact on library & information science professionals. Due to the high operationalizing ability of these networking sites, it provides online services of collaboration and knowledge sharing. The present study reviewed 23 studies from the past that highlights the methodologies, usage pattern of ASNs, impact on professionals, different categories of services, and issues related to academics and social networking in a researcher\u27s life. This study has implemented the ICA framework, a way forward to conduct meta-analysis studies in LIS, using the two most prominent citation and indexing databases, i.e., \u27Scopus\u27 and \u27Web of Science\u27. Moreover, this systematic review formulated four main research categories: Usage, Impact, Services, and Issues related to the ASNS. On further analysis of these four main research categories, eleven sub-categories evolved across four main categories. Finally, at the end of the study, specific suggestions and recommendations are provided for future studies

Convergent and divergent patterns of morphological differentiation provide more evidence for reproductive character displacement in a wood cricket Gryllus fultoni (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In ecological character displacement, traits involved in reproductive isolation may not evolve in arbitrary directions when changes in these traits are by-products of adaptation to an ecological niche. In reproductive character displacement, however, selection acts directly on reproductive characters to enhance the degree of reproductive isolation between sympatric populations. Thus, the direction of change in reproductive characters may be arbitrary in relation to changes in other morphological characters. We characterized both tegminal characters and characters indicative of body size in sympatric and allopatric populations of <it>Gryllus fultoni</it>, a species displaying character displacement in its calling song characters in areas of sympatry with <it>G. vernalis </it>populations, to infer the nature and direction of selection acting on reproductive and morphological characters in sympatry.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Except for mirror area, the number of teeth in a file, and ovipositor length of <it>G. fultoni</it>, all male and female morphological characters in <it>G. fultoni </it>and <it>G. vernalis </it>exhibited a uniform tendency to decrease in size with increasing latitude. There was no significant variation in female morphological characters between sympatric and allopatric <it>G. fultoni </it>populations. However, males of sympatric and allopatric <it>G. fultoni </it>populations significantly differed in head width, hind femur length, and mirror area even after controlling for clinal factors. Head width and hind femur length of <it>G. fultoni </it>were more similar to those of <it>G. vernalis </it>in sympatric populations than in allopatric populations, resulting in morphological convergence of <it>G. fultoni </it>and <it>G. vernalis </it>in sympatry. However, the mirror area of <it>G. fultoni </it>displayed the divergent pattern in relation to the sympatric <it>G. vernalis </it>populations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Divergence-enhancing selection may be acting on mirror area as well as calling song characters, whereas local adaptation or clinal effects may explain variation in other morphological characters in sympatric populations of <it>G. fultoni</it>. This study also suggests that structures and behaviors that directly enhance reproductive isolation may evolve together, independently of other morphological traits.</p