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Rate of growth of literature in geoscience from computerized databases

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Abstract

Computerized bibliographic databases have become sufficiently well developed and widely available to researchers that they have become potentially an important source of time series estimates of the growth of scientific literature. This paper uses the GEOREF3 database in such an application to estimation of the growth of geoscience. It is found by comparison with studies previously done from the hardcopy equivalents of GEOREF3 that the computer-derived time series can achieve results similar to their equivalents and do this more efficiently, more inexpensively and more comprehensively. Examples are given for geoscience as a whole, and for the literature related to several mineral commodities: iron ore, lead ore, nickel ore, petroleum and natural gas, radioactive minerals and ores, and zinc ore.

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Notes and references

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  2. See for example: D. H. HALL, The interface between geoscience and industry: A case study of the interaction between research and the discovery and mining of ores for nuclear fuels,Scientometrics, 11 (1987) 199; H. W. MENARD,Science: Growth and Change, Harvard University Press, Cambridge Mass., 1971, 215 p; D. De SOLLA PRICE,Little Science, Big Science, Columbia University Press, 1963, p. 118. (Reprinted in Columbia Paperback Edition, (1965); and in:Little Science, Big Science - and beyond, Columbia University, Press, 1986, p. 301.

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  3. F. J. COLE, and N. B.Eales developed a time series of dN/dt from 1550–1850 for the field of comparative anatomy, published inScience Progress, 11 (1917) 578–596. The authors used this time series to identify the periods of rapid growth in the subject.

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  4. O. PERSSON, Online bibliometrics, a research tool for everyone,Scientometrics, 10 (1986) 69.

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  5. E. GARFIELD,Citation Indexing — its Theory and Application in Science, Technology, and Humanities, New York, Wiley, 1979, p. 274.

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  6. This research is reported in the paper byHall given in Note 2.

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  7. For example in theHall paper, Note 2, the comprehensive bibliography and index published by the Geological Society of America was used. It appears as follows at various times during its lifetime: 1785–1928:Geologic literature on North America, Geological Society of America; 1929–1970:Bibliography of North American Geology, Geological Society of America; 1933–1968:Bibliography and Index of Geology Exclusive of North America, Geological Society of America and American Geological Institute; 1969-Present:Bibliography and Index of Geology, Geological Society of America and American Geological Institute.

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  8. GEOREF (Geological Reference File) comprises the contents of the publications listed in Note 7 For example in theHall paper, Note 2 D. H. HALL, The interface between geoscience and industry: A case study of the interaction between research and the discovery and mining of ores for nuclear fuels,Scientometrics, 11 (1987) 199, the comprehensive bibliography and index published by the Geological Society of America was used. It appears as follows at various times during its lifetime: 1785–1928:Geologic literature on North America, Geological Society of America; 1929–1970:Bibliography of North American Geology, Geological Society of America; 1933–1968:Bibliography and Index of Geology Exclusive of North America, Geological Society of America and American Geological Institute; 1969-Present:Bibliography and Index of Geology, Geological Society of America and American Geological Institute. as well as theBibliography and Index of Micropaleontology (1972-present),Geophysical Abstracts (1966–71), andBibliography of Theses in Geology (1965–66). The types of literature contained in the GEOREF database are: scientific articles in journals, government geological survey and research publications, and conference proceedings; monographs, theses, guidebooks, lexicons, maps, atlases, bibliographies, and annual reports.

  9. The reason for this type of smoothing is given in theHall paper (Note 2) 206

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  10. CAN/OLE Bulletin, 7, No. 3 (April 1987) 3;GEOSPECTRUM, 8, No. 1 (January/February 1987). American Geological Institute. The final addition of all hardcopy items was announced in 1988,GeoRef Newsletter, 11, No. 1 (Jul 1988).

  11. See the paperHall (Note 2) 202 and 206, where a linerar base “level” on the semi log plot for radioactive minerals and ores, is maintained over a period of 45 years, and indicates an exponential long-term interest doubling every 7 1/2yaers

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  12. See theHall paper (Note 2) 208

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  13. SeeH. W. Menard's book (Note 2)Science: Growth and Change, Harvard University Press, Cambridge Mass., 1971, Chapters 2 and 3, and p. 42

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  1. Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Manitoba, R3T 2N2, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

    D. H. Hall

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  1. D. H. Hall
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Hall, D.H. Rate of growth of literature in geoscience from computerized databases. Scientometrics 17, 15–38 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02017720

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