Bibliometric analysis of Sci-Hub downloads by Egyptian researchers

Ismail Ragab Osman () and Hendy Abdullah Hendy Ahmed
Additional contact information
Ismail Ragab Osman: Damietta University
Hendy Abdullah Hendy Ahmed: Damietta University

Scientometrics, 2024, vol. 129, issue 4, No 17, 2388 pages

Abstract: Abstract In this study we present an in-depth bibliometric analysis of Sci-Hub downloads by Egyptian researchers based on the 2017 download log file. The study reveals that Egyptian researchers heavily rely on Sci-Hub, generating a substantial 1,357,526 download requests in 2017, with 65% of these occurring outside regular working hours. Cairo emerges as a central hub for this activity, contributing 81.58% of total downloads. Journal articles constitute the majority of downloads at 82.36%, followed by conference papers (12.89%). A discernible trend shows a preference for recent papers published between 2012 and 2017, highlighting the demand for up-to-date research. The analysis also highlights prominent publishers, including IEEE, Elsevier, Wiley, and Springer, as preferred sources for Egyptian researchers. “Journal of the American Chemical Society” and “Journal of Applied Physics” stand out among accessed journals, while IEEE-associated conferences, notably “IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting,” dominate conference paper downloads. Examining journal accessibility via the Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB) reveals that 62.84% of journals are accessible, with Science Direct as the leading provider (28.37%). However, a significant gap emerges as 87.39% of downloaded conference papers remain inaccessible through EKB. Furthermore, a semantic analysis highlights recurring themes such as “systems,” “review,” “analysis,” “treatment,” “power,” and “energy,” reflecting the key research areas of Egyptian researchers. Overall, this study offers valuable insights into Sci-Hub’s role in supplementing Egyptian researchers’ resource access and underscores the need for comprehensive resource coverage and accessibility enhancements.

Keywords: Sci-Hub; Egyptian researchers; Bibliometric analysis; Egyptian knowledge bank; Log file analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11192-024-04951-2 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:scient:v:129:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s11192-024-04951-2

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/economics/journal/11192

DOI: 10.1007/s11192-024-04951-2

Access Statistics for this article

Scientometrics is currently edited by Wolfgang Glänzel

More articles in Scientometrics from Springer, Akadémiai Kiadó
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().