On Diffusion of Ideas in the Academic World: the Case of Spatial Econometrics

Spatial econometrics is a fast-growing field in the series of quantitative disciplines, auxiliaries of economics and related social sciences. Space, friction, interdependence, spatiotemporal components, externalities and many other aspects interact and should be treated adequately in this field. The publication of the Paelinck and Klaassen book in the late 1970s generated virtually the field spatial econometrics This article studies the diffusion of spatial econometrics, through experienced history on the one hand, on the other through bibliometric methods. Although this field was an “Invisible College” up to 2006 (absence of any organization in form of association, conference, journal, etc.), the databases depict a fast diffusion in the past and strong prospects for the future.

The Tale of Two research Communities: The Diffusion of Research on Productive Efficiency

The field of theoretical and applied efficiency analysis is pursued both by economists and people from operational research and management science. Each group tends to cite a different paper as the seminal one. Recent availability of extensive electronically accessible databases of journal articles makes studies of the diffusion of papers through citations possible. Research strands inspired by the seminal paper within economics are identified and followed by citation analysis during the 20 year period before the operations research paper was published. The first decade of the operations research paper is studied in a similar way and emerging differences in diffusion patterns are pointed out. Main factors influencing citations apart from the quality of the research contribution are reputation of journal, reputation of author, number of close followers; colleagues, “cadres of protégés”, Ph.D. students, and extent of network (“invisible college”). Such factors are revealed by the citing papers. In spite of increasing cross contacts between economics and operations research the last decades co-citation analysis reveals a relative constant tendency to stick to “own camp” references.Farrell efficiency measures, data envelopment analysis, DEA, bibliometry

The tale of two research communities: The diffusion of research on productive efficiency

The field of theoretical and applied efficiency analysis is pursued both by economists and people from operational research and management science. Each group tends to cite a different paper as the seminal one. Recent availability of electronically accessible databases of journal articles makes studies of the diffusion of papers through citations possible The conventional wisdom that the seminal paper within economics lay dormant for two decades, and that efficiency studies only got rolling after the operational research paper appeared, is shown to be wrong. Citation peaks have been found to be typically five to seven years, with a long tailing off. Both seminal papers followed quite different diffusion patterns. Research strands inspired by the seminal paper within economics are identified and followed by citation analysis. In recent years a weak trend toward convergence of the two camps into a common network for efficiency and productivity analyses is documented

On the origins of data envelopment analysis

The concept “Data Envelopment Analysis” (DEA) was introduced in the journal literature by the highly influential 1978 paper of Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes. In the subsequent literature the development of research leading up to this paper tended to be forgotten. However, studying this diffusion of ideas may still give valuable insights into research issues still unexplored and insight in the research process itself. A natural starting point is Farrell’s seminal 1957 paper on concepts of efficiency and their computation. The richness of ideas presented in Farrell is demonstrated by the fact that the developments in the following two decades were based on aspects and ideas there. The origins of the main developments are identified, and the connections to Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes are explored

Some Thoughts on Regional Economics as a Source of Scholarly Contributions

The present study seeks to extend the depth and scope of a very useful earlier study published in 2004. Using that study as a starting point and using more recent data [for the year 2009], this study seeks to provide a broader and more in-depth perspective on the role and relative contribution of Regional Economics research in the pertinent scholarly literature as a whole. Interestingly, by taking into consideration the size of a subfield or field in terms of the number of its SSCI-journals, Regional Science journals manifest/reflect a higher impact than the journals of Economics and Geography. Hence, RSAI journals appear to be contributing quite productively, given the relative size of their field

Migration, Environment and Public Health: Theory and Interdisciplinary Research from a Regional Science Perspective

As regional climate evolves into new climatic states in different parts of the world, humanity will be facing increasing issues associated with migration environment and health concerns. Challenges of major hazards and impacts on human societies, involving water resources, agriculture, economy and energy issues are central issues. This paper examines the generalization of Tiebout’s model in our understanding of the forced environmental migration of the Great Planes farmers to California during the Dust Bowl period in 1931-1939. The paper considers the issues of public health that arose from this migration after the arrival and settlement of the Okies in California. Settlement of the migrants in California was more bitter than the migration itself, prompting John Steinbeck to write his award winning novel of the journey in the “Grapes of Wrath.” Among many health risks in their new environment a relatively unappreciated and unpublicized airborne fungus causing Valley fever when inhaled emerged. Valley fever was, and is today, highly endemic in California’s San Joaquin Valley where many of the Okies remained, staying for employment in agriculture and working the fertile soil that harbored the fungus. The vast majority of migrants into the San Joaquin Valley had been infected, but we know today that most who were, did not report it. A very high percentage of migrants did become infected when a few statistics emerged, such as 25% of the population of one migrant camp were diagnosed with the disease. Many migrants fought the disease only to die later in the 1940s and 1950s. The destiny of the migrants was not exposed in books or mass media until the early 1960s. Many migrants escaped infection when they left the fields for employment in the factories and manufacturing supporting the World War II effort. Other reasons for this historical silence were the Great Depression, those who went to war, the Cold War era, and the Californian farmers themselves who kept the infection secret. The second generation migrants or the “survivors” from Valley fever infection exposed the destiny of their parents in the Californian farms in the mass media in the early 1960s and later on Internet webpages and blogs in the 1980s. We examine the general implications and lessons learned from these historical cases

Coccidioidomycosis: Medical and Spatio-Temporal Perspectives

Coccidioidomycosis (CM) is a disease of major public health importance due to the challenges in its diagnosis and treatment. To understand CM requires the attributes of a multidisciplinary network analysis to appreciate the complexity of the medical, the environmental and the social issues involved: public health, public policy, geology, atmospheric science, agronomy, social sciences and finally humanities, all which provide insight into this population transformation.In section 1 of this paper, we describe the CM-epidemiology, the clinical features, the diagnosis and finally the treatment.In section 2, we highlight the most important contributions and controversies in the history of the CM-research by using scientometric or bibliometric evaluations of research that are based on Garfield’s work (Garfield.library.upenn.edu) on the propagation of scientific thinking

Coccidioidomycosis: Medical and Spatio-Temporal Perspectives

Coccidioidomycosis (CM) is a disease of major public health importance due to the challenges in its diagnosis and treatment. To understand CM requires the attributes of a multidisciplinary network analysis to appreciate the complexity of the medical, the environmental and the social issues involved: public health, public policy, geology, atmospheric science, agronomy, social sciences and finally humanities, all which provide insight into this population transformation. In section 1 of this paper, we describe the CM-epidemiology, the clinical features, the diagnosis and finally the treatment. In section 2, we highlight the most important contributions and controversies in the history of the CM-research by using scientometric or bibliometric evaluations of research that are based on Garfield’s work (Garfield.library.upenn.edu) on the propagation of scientific thinking

Some Thoughts on Regional Economics as a Source of Scholarly Contributions

The present study seeks to extend the depth and scope of a very useful earlier study published in 2004. Using that study as a starting point and using more recent data [for the year 2009], this study seeks to provide a broader and more in-depth perspective on the role and relative contribution of Regional Economics research in the pertinent scholarly literature as a whole. Interestingly, by taking into consideration the size of a subfield or field in terms of the number of its SSCI-journals, Regional Science journals manifest/reflect a higher impact than the journals of Economics and Geography. Hence, RSAI journals appear to be contributing quite productively, given the relative size of their field

Interdisciplinary Science to Confront Coccidioidomycosis

The long journey of research to lower risks of Coccidioidomycosis (CM) began in the late 19th century in Argentina and continued north to Mexico, the US and other countries. During this trip, medical science led the way. Although interdisciplinary research is not alien to medical science, e.g. geographic epidemiology, interaction with other disciplines has been low priority. This paper argues that the efficacy of CM mitigation and treatment can be improved through multi- and inter-disciplinary information exchange, particularly with earth and environmental sciences. Greater interaction and open publication practice are essential. Section 1 describes CM-epidemiology, the clinical features, the diagnosis and finally, the treatment.Section 2 discusses epidemiological evidence for atmospheric influence on cases of CM.Section 3 highlights the most important contributions and controversies in the history of CM-research through scientometric or bibliometric evaluations of research that are based on Garfield’s work on the propagation of scientific thinking.