Number of published US science and engineering articles stagnating, finds report
A new report from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) has found that the number of US science and engineering (S&E) articles in major peer-reviewed journals flattened in the 1990s, after more than two decades of growth. The report, 'Changing U.S. Output of Scientific Articles: 1988 - 2003', found that the changes occurred despite continued increases in funding and personnel for research and development (R&D). The stagnation occurred in nearly all US research disciplines and types of institutions. In contrast, the study found emerging Asian nations had large increases in publication numbers, reflecting their growing expertise in science and technology. In the EU 15, publication numbers also went up. The numbers of articles published and their citation in S&E journals are widely accepted indicators of research capability. When paired with trends in patenting, licensing, R&D expenditures and advanced training of personnel, publication trends may be viewed as a factor affecting a nation's ability to spur technological innovation. Despite the levelling of articles numbers, the report claims that US influence on world science and technology remains strong. Its authors say the change in the US share of the world's S&E articles is not a surprise in view of growing S&E research capability around the world. Nor do they view it as a cause for concern. 'In addition to numbers published, one should look at another very important indicator -- article quality,' said Derek Hill, senior analyst and a co-author of the report. 'The more often an article is cited by other publications, the higher quality it's believed to have. While citation is not a perfect indicator, U.S. publications are more highly cited than those from other countries.' In sheer numbers, the United States continues to publish far more articles than any other country, and remains a major force in world S&E. However its overall share of published articles has declined while other nations produce more. Four Asian countries - China, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan - outstripped all others between 1992 and 2003, with an average annual growth rate in publications of 15.9%. According to the report, Japan's article output rose at an average annual rate of 3%, five times faster than that of the United States. The EU 15, which surpassed the US several years ago in total numbers of articles published, posted an average annual growth rate of 2.8% during the same period, more than four times larger than the United States' rate. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the US government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. It has an annual budget of about €4.3 billion (fiscal year 2007).
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