Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

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

  • Perspectives
  • Published:
Journal of Nanoparticle Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arora SK, Porter AL, Youtie J, Shapira P (2013) Capturing new developments in an emerging technology: an updated search strategy for identifying nanotechnology research outputs. Scientometrics 95(1):351–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Batallas DA, Yassine A (2006) Information leaders in product development organizational networks: social network analysis of the design structure matrix. IEEE Trans Eng Manage 53(4):570–582

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang PL, Wu CC, Leu HJ (2010) Using patent analyses to monitor the technological trends in an emerging field of technology: a case of carbon nanotube field emission display. Scientometrics 82(1):5–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cook KS, Emerson RM, Gillmore MR, Yamagishi T (1983) The distribution of power in exchange networks: theory and experimental results. Am J Sociol 89(2):275–305

  • Dang Y, Zhang Y, Fan L, Chen H, Roco MC (2010) Trends in worldwide nanotechnology patent applications: 1991 to 2008. J Nanopart Res 12(3):687–706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman LC (1979) Centrality in social networks conceptual clarification. Soc Netw 1(3):215–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glänzel W, Schubert A, Czerwon HJ (1999) An item-by-item subject classification of papers published in multidisciplinary and general journals using reference analysis. Scientometrics 44(3):427–439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorjiara T, Baldock C (2014) Nanoscience and nanotechnology research publications: a comparison between Australia and the rest of the world. Scientometrics 100(1):121–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gould RV (1987) Measures of betweenness in non-symmetric networks. Soc Netw 9(3):277–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gould RV, Fernandez RM (1989) Structures of mediation: a formal approach to brokerage in transaction networks. Sociol Methodol 19:89–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanneman RA, Riddle M (2005) Introduction to social network methods. University of California, Riverside (published in digital form at http://faculty.ucr.edu/~hanneman/)

  • Hicks DM, Katz JS (1996) Where is science going? Sci Technol Hum Val 21(4):379–406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang Z, Chen H, Chen ZK, Roco MC (2004) International nanotechnology development in 2003: country, institution, and technology field analysis based on USPTO patent database. J Nanopart Res 6(4):325–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang C, Notten A, Rasters N (2011) Nanoscience and technology publications and patents: a review of social science studies and search strategies. J Technol Transfer 36(2):145–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hullmann A (2006) Who is winning the global nanorace? Nat Nanotechnol 1(2):81–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz JS, Hicks D (1995) The classification of interdisciplinary journals: a new approach. In: Proceedings of the fifth biennial conference of the international society for scientometrics and informetrics, Learned Information, Medford, pp 245–254

  • King J (1987) A review of bibliometric and other science indicators and their role in research evaluation. J Inform Sci 13(5):261–276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larsen K (2008) Knowledge network hubs and measures of research impact, science structure, and publication output in nanostructured solar cell research. Scientometrics 74(1):123–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee H (2015) Uncovering the multidisciplinary nature of technology management: journal citation network analysis. Scientometrics 102(1):51–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leydesdorff L (2007a) Betweenness centrality as an indicator of the interdisciplinarity of scientific journals. J Am Soc Inf Sci Technol 58(9):1303–1319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leydesdorff L (2007b) Visualization of the citation impact environments of scientific journals: an online mapping exercise. J Am Soc Inf Sci Technol 58(1):25–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leydesdorff L (2008) The delineation of nanoscience and nanotechnology in terms of journals and patents: a most recent update. Scientometrics 76(1):159–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leydesdorff L (2013) An evaluation of impacts in “nanoscience & nanotechnology”: steps towards standards for citation analysis. Scientometrics 94(1):35–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leydesdorff L, Cozzens SE (1993) The delineation of specialties in terms of journals using the dynamic journal set of the SCI. Scientometrics 26(1):135–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leydesdorff L, Zhou P (2007) Nanotechnology as a field of science: its delineation in terms of journals and patents. Scientometrics 70(3):693–713

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leydesdorff L, Cozzens S, Van den Besselaar P (1994) Tracking areas of strategic importance using scientometric journal mappings. Res Policy 23(2):217–229

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Chen H, Huang Z, Roco MC (2007) Patent citation network in nanotechnology (1976–2004). J Nanopart Res 9(3):337–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Zhang P, Li X, Chen H, Dang Y, Larson C, Roco MC, Wang X (2009) Trends for nanotechnology development in China, Russia, and India. J Nanopart Res 11(8):1845–1866

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Jiang S, Chen H, Larson CA, Roco MC (2014) Nanotechnology knowledge diffusion: measuring the impact of the research networking and a strategy for improvement. J Nanopart Res 16(9):1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsden PV (1982) Brokerage behavior in restricted exchange networks. Soc Struct Netw Anal 7(4):341–410

    Google Scholar 

  • Marsden PV (1983) Restricted access in networks and models of power. Am J Sociol 88(4):686–717

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer M, Persson O (1998) Nanotechnology-interdisciplinarity, patterns of collaboration and differences in application. Scientometrics 42(2):195–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Molina-Morales FX, Belso-Martinez JA, Mas-Verdú F (2016) Interactive effects of internal brokerage activities in clusters: the case of the Spanish Toy Valley. J Bus Res 69(5):1785–1790

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morillo F, Bordons M, Gómez I (2003) Interdisciplinarity in science: a tentative typology of disciplines and research areas. J Am Soc Inf Sci Technol 54(13):1237–1249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moya-Anegón F, Vargas-Quesada B, Herrero-Solana V, Chinchilla-Rodríguez Z, Corera-Álvarez E, Munoz-Fernández FJ (2004) A new technique for building maps of large scientific domains based on the cocitation of classes and categories. Scientometrics 61(1):129–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD (2009) Nanotechnology: an overview based on indicators and statistics. OECD Publishing, Paris. doi:10.1787/223147043844

  • OECD (2010) The impacts of nanotechnology on companies: policy insights from case studies. OECD Publishing, Paris. doi:10.1787/9789264094635-en

  • OECD (2014) Considerations in moving toward a statistical framework for nanotechnology: findings from a working party on nanotechnology pilot survey of business activity in nanotechnology. OECD Publishing, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter AL, Youtie J (2009) How interdisciplinary is nanotechnology? J Nanopart Res 11(5):1023–1041

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rafols I, Meyer M (2010) Diversity and network coherence as indicators of interdisciplinarity: case studies in bionanoscience. Scientometrics 82(2):263–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roco MC, Bainbridge WS (2001) Societal implications of nanoscience and nanotechnology: NSET workshop report. National Science Foundation, Virginia

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Roco MC, Bainbridge WS (2005) Societal implications of nanoscience and nanotechnology: maximizing human benefit. J Nanopart Res 7(1):1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rueda G, Gerdsri P, Kocaoglu DF (2007) Bibliometrics and social network analysis of the nanotechnology field. Proceedings of the portland international center for management of engineering and technology. IEEE, Portland, pp 2905–2911

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheu M, Veefkind V, Verbandt Y, Galan EM, Absalom R, Förster W (2006) Mapping nanotechnology patents: the EPO approach. World Patent Inf 28(3):204–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shin J, Park Y (2007) Building the national ICT frontier: the case of Korea. Inf Econ Policy 19(2):249–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snijders TA, Borgatti SP (1999) Non-parametric standard errors and tests for network statistics. Connections 22(2):161–170

    Google Scholar 

  • Takeda Y, Mae S, Kajikawa Y, Matsushima K (2009) Nanobiotechnology as an emerging research domain from nanotechnology: a bibliometric approach. Scientometrics 80(1):23–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Raan AFJ (1999) The interdisciplinary nature of science: theoretical framework and bibliometric-empirical approach. In: Weingart P, Stehr N (eds) Practising interdisciplinarity. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, pp 66–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Wasserman S, Faust K (1994) Social network analysis: methods and applications. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng J, Zhao ZY, Zhang X, Chen DZ, Huang MH (2014) International collaboration development in nanotechnology: a perspective of patent network analysis. Scientometrics 98(1):683–702

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou P, Leydesdorff L (2006) The emergence of China as a leading nation in science. Res Policy 35(1):83–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2013R1A1A2057953).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 151-742, Republic of Korea

    Haejin Jo & Yongtae Park

  2. Graduate School of Nano-IT-Design, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro Nowon-gu, Seoul, 139-743, Republic of Korea

    Sarah Eunkyung Kim

  3. Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongneung-ro Nowon-gu, Seoul, 139-743, Republic of Korea

    Hakyeon Lee

Authors
  1. Haejin Jo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yongtae Park
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sarah Eunkyung Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hakyeon Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hakyeon Lee.

Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 7, 8, and 9.

Table 7 List of 73 nano journals
Full size table
Table 8 Centrality scores of 41 nano journals
Full size table
Table 9 Brokerage scores of 41 nano journals in weighted version
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jo, H., Park, Y., Kim, S.E. et al. Exploring the intellectual structure of nanoscience and nanotechnology: journal citation network analysis. J Nanopart Res 18, 167 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-016-3473-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-016-3473-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation