The structure and infrastructure of the global nanotechnology literature

Text mining is the extraction of useful information from large volumes of text. A text mining analysis of the global open nanotechnology literature was performed. Records from the Science Citation Index (SCI)/Social SCI were analyzed to provide the infrastructure of the global nanotechnology literature (prolific authors/journals/institutions/countries, most cited authors/papers/journals) and the thematic structure (taxonomy) of the global nanotechnology literature, from a science perspective. Records from the Engineering Compendex (EC) were analyzed to provide a taxonomy from a technology perspective.

• The Far Eastern countries have expanded nanotechnology publication output dramatically in the past decade.
• The Peoples Republic of China ranks second to the USA (2004 results) in nanotechnology papers published in the SCI, and has increased its nanotechnology publication output by a factor of 21 in a decade.
• Of the six most prolific (publications) nanotechnology countries, the three from the Western group (USA, Germany, France) have about eight percent more nanotechnology publications (for 2004) than the three from the Far Eastern group (China, Japan, South Korea).
• While most of the high nanotechnology publication-producing countries are also high nanotechnology patent producers in the US Patent Office (as of 2003), China is a major exception. China ranks 20th as a nanotechnology patent-producing country in the US Patent Office.

     

Nanotechnology publications and citations by leading countries and blocs

This article examines the relative positions with respect to nanotechnology research publications of the European Union (EU), the United States (US), Japan, Germany, China, and three Asian Tiger nations (South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan). The analysis uses a dataset of nanotechnology publication records for the time period 1990 through 2006 (part year) extracted from the Science Citation Index obtained through the Web of Science and was developed through a two-stage modularized Boolean approach. The results show that although the EU and the US have the highest number of nanotechnology publications, China and other Asian countries are increasing their publications rapidly, taking an ever-larger proportion of the total. When viewed in terms of the quality-based measure of citations, Asian nanotechnology researchers also show growth in recent years. However, by such citation measures, the US still maintains a strongly dominant position, followed by the EU.     

A longitudinal analysis of nanotechnology literature: 1976–2004

Nanotechnology research and applications have experienced rapid growth in recent years. We assessed the status of nanotechnology research worldwide by applying bibliographic, content map, and citation network analysis to a data set of about 200,000 nanotechnology papers published in the Thomson Science Citation Index Expanded database (SCI) from 1976 to 2004. This longitudinal study shows a quasi-exponential growth of nanotechnology articles with an average annual growth rate of 20.7% after 1991. The United States had the largest contribution of nanotechnology research and China and Korea had the fastest growth rates. The largest institutional contributions were from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Sciences. The high-impact papers generally described tools, theories, technologies, perspectives, and overviews of nanotechnology. From the top 20 institutions, based on the average number of paper citations in 1976–2004, 17 were in the Unites States, 2 in France and 1 in Germany. Content map analysis identified the evolution of the major topics researched from 1976 to 2004, including investigative tools, physical phenomena, and experiment environments. Both the country citation network and the institution citation network had relatively high clustering, indicating the existence of citation communities in the two networks, and specific patterns in forming citation communities. The United States, Germany, Japan, and China were major citation centers in nanotechnology research with close inter-citation relationships.     

International perspective on nanotechnology papers,patents, and NSF awards (2000–2016)

This paper presents the development of nanotechnology between 2000 and 2016 as reflected in the Web of Science papers, United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), World International Property Organization (WIPO) patents, and National Science Foundation (NSF) awards, with a special reference to the United States (US), European Union (EU27), P.R. China, Japan, and South Korea. The field of nanotechnology is branching out into novel scientific and technology platforms, and it is increasingly difficult to separate foundational nanoscale components from divergent application areas. The average global growth rate has been sustained at about 15% for both papers and patents in the selected interval. The growth rates among regions are non-uniform. P.R. China and South Korea have increased faster in both the numbers and quality of their scientific publications, and currently P.R. China has the largest volume of nanotechnology publications and South Korea the most publications per capita in the field of nanotechnology. The US, EU27, and Japan are maintaining leadership in the upstream, better cited, conceptual components of nanotechnology research and development.     

Nano Mapper: an Internet knowledge mapping system for nanotechnology development

Nanotechnology research has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Advances in information technology enable efficient investigation of publications, their contents, and relationships for large sets of nanotechnology-related documents in order to assess the status of the field. This paper presents the development of a new knowledge mapping system, called Nano Mapper (), which integrates the analysis of nanotechnology patents and research grants into a Web-based platform. The Nano Mapper system currently contains nanotechnology-related patents for 1976–2006 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), European Patent Office (EPO), and Japan Patent Office (JPO), as well as grant documents from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) for the same time period. The system provides complex search functionalities, and makes available a set of analysis and visualization tools (statistics, trend graphs, citation networks, and content maps) that can be applied to different levels of analytical units (countries, institutions, technical fields) and for different time intervals. The paper shows important nanotechnology patenting activities at USPTO for 2005–2006 identified through the Nano Mapper system.     

Impact and structure of literature on nanoparticle generation by laser ablation in liquids

The number of publications on laser ablation and nanoparticle generation in liquids increased by the factor of 15 in the last decade, with comparable high impact of the most cited articles in this field. A nearly unlimited variety of nanoparticle material, liquid matrix, and conjugative agent can be combined to a huge variety of colloids within a few minutes of laser processing. However, this diversification makes it hard to identify main research directions without a comprehensive literature overview. This investigation evaluates the impact and structure of the literature in this field tagging most prolific subjects and articles. Using an optimized search algorithm, the data sets derived from Science Citation Index (1998–2008) allow for statements on publication subject clusters, impact of articles and journals, as well as mapping global spots of activities.     

Nano-energy research trends: bibliometrical analysis of nanotechnology research in the energy sector

Nano-energy, the part of nanotechnology dedicated to the study and improvement of the Energy Supply Sector, is a promising and perspective research field. A robust method to quantify international scientific activities in this field is the literature search. An evaluative bibliometric approach applied to the Science Citation Index has been done to retrieve a set of articles related to nano-energy and get knowledge of the direction and trends followed by this particular scientific topic. The resulting database showed an exponential increase of the number of publications issuing nano-based investigations in the energy sector in the last decade, accelerating to an annual growth rate of 1,100%. The most cited articles and the material-clustering protocol revealed that carbon-nanoelements and their application in solar energy harvesting and conversion, and energy storage devices have been principally investigated and represent the main focus in that continuously growing research field. The number of nanotechnology-related papers in the energy database increased monotonically for harvesting, conversion, and storage the last decade, being energy distribution and usage not affected. TiO₂ or SnO₂ nanoparticles or thin films, and nanocomposites occupied the following top positions in the investigated material ranking. This trend was constant along the decade, as confirmed by network analyses. Supported by discipline-clustering, we observed the fundamental character of the research developed between 2000 and 2009, relying mainly on material science and chemistry. Hence, further implementation of nanotechnology findings is needed to stimulate nano-based energy-focused technologies reaching widespread commercial applications.     

Trends for nanotechnology development in China, Russia, and India

China, Russia, and India are playing an increasingly important role in global nanotechnology research and development (R&D). This paper comparatively inspects the paper and patent publications by these three countries in the Thomson Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI) database and United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database (1976–2007). Bibliographic, content map, and citation network analyses are used to evaluate country productivity, dominant research topics, and knowledge diffusion patterns. Significant and consistent growth in nanotechnology papers are noted in the three countries. Between 2000 and 2007, the average annual growth rate was 31.43% in China, 11.88% in Russia, and 33.51% in India. During the same time, the growth patterns were less consistent in patent publications: the corresponding average rates are 31.13, 10.41, and 5.96%. The three countries’ paper impact measured by the average number of citations has been lower than the world average. However, from 2000 to 2007, it experienced rapid increases of about 12.8 times in China, 8 times in India, and 1.6 times in Russia. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) were the most productive institutions in paper publication, with 12,334, 6,773, and 1,831 papers, respectively. The three countries emphasized some common research topics such as “Quantum dots,” “Carbon nanotubes,” “Atomic force microscopy,” and “Scanning electron microscopy,” while Russia and India reported more research on nano-devices as compared with China. CAS, RAS, and IIT played key roles in the respective domestic knowledge diffusion.     

Measurement uncertainties of size, shape, and surface measurements using transmission electron microscopy of near-monodisperse, near-spherical nanoparticles

Carbon nanotubes are currently one of the most important materials due to their strong mechanical resistance, light weight, and transport properties. Since the publication of Ijima’s paper on tubular carbon structures (Iijima, Nature 354:56–58, 1991), approximately 80,000 research articles have been published according to the ISI web of science (WOS) database, using “carbon nanotube*” as the search criterion in the search by topic option. In this work, the development and impact of nanoscience and nanotechnology (N&N) and carbon nanotubes on several research areas, journals, specific papers, and emerging research areas are analyzed and discussed. Considering the production of papers in these areas from 1997 to 2012, quantitatively speaking, the People’s Republic of China is emerging as the leading country in N&N and carbon nanotube research, passing the United States of America. WOS data analysis of nanoscience, nanotechnology, and carbon nanotube research in developed and developing countries is discussed, and some ideas for accelerating the progress in these important research areas are proposed.     

Bibliometric analysis of core journals which publish articles of physical therapy on aging

Objective. Increase in population''s longevity has led to considerable efforts worldwide on physical therapy aging research. The aim of this study is to identify which are the main scientific journals, as well as the most productive authors, institutions and keywords related to the journals, that have published about physical therapy and aging. Methods. Original articles published from 1990 to 2014 were retrieved from the bibliographic database Science Citation Index Expanded of Web of Science Core Collection. After standardization of the bibliographic information, a series of bibliometric indicators was obtained regarding authors, institutions, citation and keywords of the core journals using bibliometric software. The PAJEK network analysis program was used for graphic representation. Results. A total of 2,237 original articles are included in this analysis. The number of identified journals is 573, with an average growth of publishing journals throughout the studied period of 9.41%. Bradford''s distribution shows 12 core journals, out of which 41.67% have published constantly all throughout the 25-year period, being the most productive one Physical Therapy. Fritz, Julie M is the most productive author, and University of Sydney the most productive institution. The keyword exercise is used in an outstanding way. Conclusions. The productivity trends provided an indication of the greater scientific interest of physical therapy in aging as a line of research. Collectively, the data indicated that physical therapy-specific journals are being consolidated but non-specific are still a significant research source, and that a fundamental element of their research includes exercise and movement.     

Multidisciplinary cognitive content of nanoscience and nanotechnology

This article examines the cognitive evolution and disciplinary diversity of nanoscience/nanotechnology (nano research) as expressed through the terminology used in titles of nano journal articles. The analysis is based on the NanoBank bibliographic database of 287,106 nano articles published between 1981 and 2004. We perform multifaceted analyses of title words, focusing on 100 most frequent words or phrases (terms). Hierarchical clustering of title terms reveals three distinct time periods of cognitive development of nano research: formative (1981–1990), early (from 1991 to 1998), and current (after 1998). Early period is characterized by the introduction of thin film deposition techniques, while the current period is characterized by the increased focus on carbon nanotube and nanoparticle research. We introduce a method to identify disciplinary components of nanotechnology. It shows that the nano research is being carried out in a number of diverse parent disciplines. Currently, only 5% of articles are published in dedicated nano-only journals. We find that some 85% of nano research today is multidisciplinary. The case study of the diffusion of several nano-specific terms (e.g., “carbon nanotube”) shows that concepts spread from the initially few disciplinary components to the majority of them in a time span of around a decade. Hierarchical clustering of disciplinary components reveals that the cognitive content of current nanoscience can be divided into nine clusters. Some clusters account for a large fraction of nano research and are identified with such parent disciplines as the condensed matter and applied physics, materials science, and analytical chemistry. Other clusters represent much smaller parts of nano research, but are as cognitively distinct. In the decreasing order of size, these fields are: polymer science, biotechnology, general chemistry, surface science, and pharmacology. Cognitive content of research published in nano-only journals is the closest to nano research published in condensed matter and applied physics journals.     

Longitudinal study on patent citations to academic research articles in nanotechnology (1976–2004)

Academic nanoscale science and engineering (NSE) research provides a foundation for nanotechnology innovation reflected in patents. About 60% or about 50,000 of the NSE-related patents identified by “full-text” keyword searching between 1976 and 2004 at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) have an average of approximately 18 academic citations. The most cited academic journals, individual researchers, and research articles have been evaluated as sources of technology innovation in the NSE area over the 28-year period. Each of the most influential articles was cited about 90 times on the average, while the most influential author was cited more than 700 times by the NSE-related patents. Thirteen mainstream journals accounted for about 20% of all citations. Science, Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) have consistently been the top three most cited journals, with each article being cited three times on average. There is another kind of influential journals, represented by Biosystems and Origin of Life, which have very few articles cited but with exceptionally high frequencies. The number of academic citations per year from ten most cited journals has increased by over 17 times in the interval (1990–1999) as compared to (1976–1989), and again over 3 times in the interval (2000–2004) as compared to (1990–1999). This is an indication of increased used of academic knowledge creation in the NSE-related patents.     

Autobiography of James S. Hyde

The papers, book chapters, reviews, and patents by James S. Hyde in the bibliography of this document have been separated into EPR and MRI sections and within each section by topics. Within each topic, publications are listed chronologically. A brief summary is provided for each patent listed. A few publications and patents that do not fit this schema have been omitted. This list of publications is preceded by a scientific autobiography that focuses on selected topics that are judged to have been of most scientific importance. References to many of the publications and patents in the bibliography are made in the autobiography.     

The seminal literature of nanotechnology research

A generally weak area in research papers, reports, and reviews is the complete identification of seminal background documents that formed the building blocks for these papers. A method for systematically determining these seminal references is presented. Citation-assisted background (CAB) is based on the assumption that seminal documents tend to be highly cited. Application of CAB to the field of nanotechnology research is presented. While CAB is a highly systematic approach for identifying seminal references, it serves as a supplement and is not a substitute for the judgment of the authorsThe views in this paper are solely those of the authors, and do not represent the views of the Department of the Navy or any of its components, or the Institute for Defense Analyses     

An overview of the material physics and chemistry development in the ROC since 1980

The promotion of overall national science and technology development, support for academic research, and the establishment and administration of the science-based industrial parks are the three basic missions of the National Science Council (NSC) of the Republic of China (ROC). The NSC embarked upon its first large-scale national discipline planning effort in 1985. A second discipline and resource planning effort was undertaken in 1993. To ensure that the revised research areas conformed to national needs and international trends, a full-scale review and revision of discipline and resource plans was conducted in 1995. Prior to 1980, the primary interest of material research was in metals. With the establishment of several major materials research institutions and material physics and chemistry research initiatives during the 1980s, material research in Taiwan entered a period of greater diversity. The resulting growth in academic achievement can be exemplified by the steady increase in the number of academic papers included in the prestigious international database Science Citation Index, as well as Taiwan's relative rank. In this article, we review and summarize the major initiatives undertaken by the NSC and their impacts on material physics and chemistry development in Taiwan.     

Progress of nanoscience in China

Fast evolving nanoseienees and nanotechnology in China has made it one of the front countries of nanotechnology development. Ill this review, we summarize some most recent progresses in nanoseienee research and nanotechnology development in China. The topics we selected in this article include llano-fabrication, nanocatalysis, bioinspired nanoteehnology, green printing nanotechnology, nanoplasmonics, nanomedicine, nanomaterials and their applications, energy and environmental nanoteehnology, nano EHS （nanosafety）, etc. Most of them have great potentials in applications or application-related key issues in future.     

Dirac's Claim and the Chemists

In 1929 Paul A. M. Dirac claimed that “the underlying physical laws necessary for the mathematical theory of ... the whole of chemistry are thus completely known, and the difficulty is only that the exact application of these laws leads to equations much too complicated to be soluble.” This sentence of Dirac's is cited frequently by historians and philosophers of chemistry in the context of discussions on the hypothetical reduction of chemistry to physics. But how did chemists themselves react to Dirac's claim? Did they feel threatened by physicists who felt they could do their job better than themselves? Did they feel indifferent, or did they simply not care? Was Dirac's paper often cited by chemists? Why was it cited? In this paper, I provide answers to these questions on the basis of an analysis of citations to Dirac's 1929 paper in the Science Citation Index. RID="*" ID="*"Ana Sim?es teaches history of science at the University of Lisbon. Her research is in the history of quantum chemistry and in the history of the sciences at the European peripheries.     

Exploring the intellectual structure of nanoscience and nanotechnology: journal citation network analysis

Understanding the research trends and intellectual structure of nanoscience and nanotechnology (nano) is important for governments as well as researchers. This paper investigates the intellectual structure of nano field and explores its interdisciplinary characteristics through journal citation networks. The nano journal network, where 41 journals are nodes and citation among the journals are links, is constructed and analyzed using centrality measures and brokerage analysis. The journals that have high centrality scores are identified as important journals in terms of knowledge flow. Moreover, an intermediary role of each journal in exchanging knowledge between nano subareas is identified by brokerage analysis. Further, the nano subarea network is constructed and investigated from the macro view of nano field. This paper can provide the micro and macro views of intellectual structure of nano field and therefore help researchers who seek appropriate journals to acquire knowledge and governments who develop R&D strategies for nano.     

磁共振波谱及成像技术在纳米尺度物质生物效应研究中的应用

纳米尺度物质的生物效应研究是近年来在纳米科技发展过程中派生出来的一个崭新的、发展很快的且多学科高度交叉的领域，需要把纳米科学、物理学、化学以及生物医学等多学科的研究手段结合起来，进行综合研究．核磁共振波谱与成像，作为一种原位、无损、动态、实时、多信息的检测手段，在此领域的研究中将发挥不可或缺的重要作用．文章分3个方面简要介绍核磁共振波谱与成像技术在纳米尺度物质生物效应研究中的应用：（1）纳米尺度物质在生物组织及个体内的检测与分析；（2）纳米尺度物质与生物大分子相互作用的核磁共振波谱研究；（3）纳米尺度物质生物效应的核磁共振代谢组学研究．