Scientometrics of big science: a case study of research in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

Jian Zhang (), Michael S. Vogeley and Chaomei Chen
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Jian Zhang: Drexel University
Michael S. Vogeley: Drexel University
Chaomei Chen: Drexel University

Scientometrics, 2011, vol. 86, issue 1, No 1, 14 pages

Abstract: Abstract Large-scale scientific projects have become a major impetus of scientific advances. But few studies have specifically analyzed how those projects bolster scientific research. We address this question from a scientometrics perspective. By analyzing the bibliographic records of papers relevant to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we found that the SDSS helped scientists from many countries further develop their own research; investigators initially formed large research groups to tackle key problems, while later papers involved fewer authors; and the number of research topics increased but the diversity of topics remains stable. Furthermore, the entropy analysis method has proven valuable in terms of analyzing patterns of research topics at a macroscopic level.

Keywords: Bibliometric; Entropy analysis; Publication analysis; Sloan Digital Sky Survey; Large-scale scientific project (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11192-010-0318-1

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