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The iceberg hypothesis revisited

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Abstract

A study is described of the rank/JIF (Journal Impact Factor) distributions in the high-coverage Scopus database, using recent data and a three-year citation window. It includes a comparison with an older study of the Journal Citation Report categories and indicators, and a determination of the factors most influencing the distributions. While all the specific subject areas fit a negative logarithmic law fairly well, those with a greater External JIF have distributions with a more sharply defined peak and a longer tail—something like an iceberg. No S-shaped distributions, such as predicted by Egghe, were found. A strong correlation was observed between the knowledge export and import ratios. Finally, data from both Scopus and ISI were used to characterize the rank/JIF distributions by subject area.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financed by the Junta de Extremadura—Consejería de Educación Ciencia & Tecnología and the Fondo Social Europeo as part of research project PRI06A200, and by the Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica, Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica 2008-2011 and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) as part of research projects TIN2008-06514-C02-01 and TIN2008-06514-C02-02.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Información y Comunicación, Grupo Scimago, Universidad de Extremadura, 06071, Badajoz, Spain

    Bárbara S. Lancho-Barrantes & Vicente P. Guerrero-Bote

  2. Facultad de Biblioteconomía y Documentación, Universidad de Extremadura, 06071, Badajoz, Spain

    Vicente P. Guerrero-Bote

  3. Grupo Scimago, CSIC, CCHS, IPP, Madrid, Spain

    Félix Moya-Anegón

Authors
  1. Bárbara S. Lancho-Barrantes
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  2. Vicente P. Guerrero-Bote
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  3. Félix Moya-Anegón
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Correspondence to Vicente P. Guerrero-Bote.

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Lancho-Barrantes, B.S., Guerrero-Bote, V.P. & Moya-Anegón, F. The iceberg hypothesis revisited. Scientometrics 85, 443–461 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-010-0209-5

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