Brown C G, Coward H R, Stowe R C
Division of International Programs, National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C.
Arch Biol Med Exp. 1991;24(1):37-47.
We use analysis of co-citation and relative citation rates to assess the scientific strength of Chile as compared with other developing countries and to evaluate the potential for increased international collaboration between Chile and the United States in science and engineering. Co-citation is the citation of two scientific papers by a third paper. By examining frequency and patterns of co-citation, the intellectual structure and evolution of scientific disciplines and research specialties can be traced. Chile is especially "strong", as defined by the co-citation model we employ, in biomedicine and clinical medicine, and in astronomy. A relative citation rate is the ratio of the number of citations a paper receives to the average number of citations for all papers published in the same journal over time. Analysis of relative citation rates of papers published by authors with Chilean addresses show that Chilean physics, including earth and space sciences, is of unusually high quality, considerably higher than any other developing country and comparable to several industrialized countries. We conclude that Chile's scientific capacity is advanced enough to absorb and benefit significantly from strategic additions to the country's resources and capabilities for research. These would include increases in: exchanges of researchers in specific fields with U.S. and other Latin American academic, industrial, and government scientists and engineers; training at outstanding U.S. and Latin American institutions; laboratory equipment, computer time, communications links, and library materials; and funding from U.S. and international organizations. It is also apparent that Chile is strong enough in certain fields to cooperate with the U.S. in mutually beneficial international efforts.
我们运用共被引分析和相对被引率来评估智利与其他发展中国家相比的科学实力，并评估智利与美国在科学和工程领域加强国际合作的潜力。共被引是指第三篇论文对两篇科学论文的引用。通过考察共被引的频率和模式，可以追溯科学学科和研究专业的知识结构与演变。按照我们所采用的共被引模型来定义，智利在生物医学、临床医学以及天文学领域尤为“强大”。相对被引率是一篇论文获得的被引次数与同一期刊随时间发表的所有论文的平均被引次数之比。对有智利地址的作者发表的论文的相对被引率分析表明，智利的物理学，包括地球和空间科学，质量异常高，大大高于任何其他发展中国家，可与几个工业化国家相媲美。我们得出结论，智利的科研能力足够先进，能够从对该国研究资源和能力的战略性补充中大量吸收并受益。这些补充包括：在特定领域与美国及其他拉丁美洲学术、工业和政府科学家及工程师进行研究人员交流；在美国和拉丁美洲的优秀机构接受培训；实验室设备、计算机时间、通信链接和图书馆资料；以及来自美国和国际组织的资金。同样明显的是，智利在某些领域实力雄厚，足以与美国在互利的国际合作中开展合作。
