Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

International earth science literature from Turkey — 1970–2005: Trends and possible causes

  • Published:
Scientometrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We investigated the publication trends in the international earth science literature coming out of Turkey in the period of 1970–2005 using the Science Citation Index Expanded database. A database of 2310 earth science publications with at least one of the authors with an address in Turkey was compiled. The number of earth science publications from Turkey shows a very rapid increase starting in the 1990’s in parallel with the increase in the total scientific output of Turkey. In the last decade the annual growth rate has been 16%. There was also a concomitant increase in the number of citations. The causes of the sharp increase in the publication numbers are, in order of importance, changes in the rules of academic promotion and appointment, changes in academic attitudes towards publishing, increasing support for research, financial incentives for publishing, and expansion of higher education. However, the sharp increase in the publication numbers was not accompanied by a similar increase in the impact of the publications as measured by the citations. Although publications with first authors from outside Turkey make up only 20% of the Turkish earth science publications in the period 1970–2005, these account for 38% of the total citations, and constitute 48 out of 100 most cited papers.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. T. Braun, W. Glänzel, H. Maczelka, A. Schubert, World science in the eighties. National performances in publication output and citation impact, 1985–1989 versus 1980–1984 part I. all science fields combined, physics, and chemistry, Scientometrics, 29(3) (1994) 299–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. W. Marx, H. Schier, M. Wanitschek, Citation analysis using online databases: feasibilities and shortcomings, Scientometrics, 52 (2001) 59–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. A. Schubert, W. Glänzel, B. Thus, The weight of author self-citations. A fractional approach to the self-citation counting, Scientometrics, 67(3) (2006) 503–514.

    Google Scholar 

  4. A. Uzun, M. E. Özel, Publication patterns of Turkish astronomers, Scientometrics, 37(1) (1996) 159–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. S. Gülgöz, O. A. Yedekcioglu, E. Yurtsever, Turkey’s output in social science publications: 1970–1999, Scientometrics, 55(1) (2002) 103–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. D. W. Aksnes, G. Sivertsen, The effect of highly cited papers on national citation indicators, Scientometrics, 59 (2004) 213–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. A. M. C. Sengor, Y. Yilmaz, Tethyan evolution of Turkey — A plate tectonic approach, Tectonophysics, 75(3–4) (1981) 181–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. A. M. C. Sengor, B. A. Natalin, V. S. Burtman, Evolution of the Altaid tectonic collage and Paleozoic crustal growth in Eurasia, Nature, 364(6435) (1993) 299–307.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. S. T. Xu, A. I. Okay, S. Y. Ji, A. M. C. Sengor, S. Wen, Y. C. Liu, L. L. Jiang, Diamond from the Dabie-Shan metamorphic rocks and its implication for tectonic setting, Science, 256(5053) (1992)

  10. S. Mcclusky, S. Balassanian, A. Barka, C. Demir, S. Ergintav, I. Georgiev, O. Gurkan, M. Hamburger, K. Hurst, H.-G. Kahle, K. Kastens, G. Kekelidze, R. King, V. Kotzev, O. Lenk, S. Mahmoud, A. Mishin, M. Nadariya, A. Ouzounis, D. Paradissis, Y. Peter, M. Prilepin, R. Reilinger, I. Sanli, H. Seeger, A. Tealeb, M. N. Toksoz, G. Veis, Global Positioning System constraints on plate kinematics and dynamics in the eastern Mediterranean and Caucasus, Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth, 105(B3) (2000) 5695–5719.

    Google Scholar 

  11. R. S. Stein, A. A. Barka, J. H. Dietrich, Progressive failure on the North Anatolian fault since 1939 by earthquake stress triggering, Geophysical Journal International, 128(3) (1997) 594–604.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. A. I. Okay, S. T. Xu, A. M. C. Sengor, Coesite from the Daibe Shan eclogites, Central China, European Journal of Mineralogy, 1(4) (1989) 595–598.

    Google Scholar 

  13. R. E. Reilinger, S. C. Mcclusky, M. B. Oral, R. W. King, M. N. Tokgoz, A. A. Barka, I. Kinik, O. Lenk, I Sanli, Global Positioning System measurements of present-day crustal movements in the Arabia-Africa-Eurasia plate collision zone, Journal of Geophysical Reserach-Solid Earth, 102(B5) (1997) 9983–9999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. A. I. Okay, Petrology of a diamond and coesite-bearing metamorphic terrain-Dabie Shan, China, European Journal of Mineralogy, 5(4) (1993) 659–675.

    Google Scholar 

  15. A. I. Okay, A. M. C. Sengor, M. Satir, Tectonics of an ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic terrane — the Dabie-Shan Tongbai-Shan Orogen, China, Tectonics, 12(6) (1993) 1320–1334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. J. W. Murray, H. W. Jannasch, S. Honjo, R. F. Anderson, W. S. Reeburgh, Z. Top, G. E. Friederich, L. A. Codispoti, E. Izdar, Unexpected changes in the oxic anoxic interface in the Black Sea, Nature, 338(6214) (1989) 411–413.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. W. Glänzel, National characteristics in international scientific co-authorship relations, Scientometrics, 51(1) (2001) 69–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. E. Yurtsever, S. Gülgöz, The increase in the rate of publications originating from Turkey. Scientometrics, 46(2) (1999) 321–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Y. Tonta, Contribution of Turkish researchers to the world’s biomedical literature (1988–1997), Scientometrics, 48(1) (2000) 71–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Z. J. Sampson, Authorship counts: Forty years of the Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, Scientometrics, 32 (1995) 219–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. J. E. Bird, Authorship patterns in marine mammal science, 1985–1993, Scientometrics, 39(1) (1997) 99–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. N. Mehta, Measuring organizational scientific productivity: A study at NCL, Current Science, 88 (2005) 223–230.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Y. Tatar, Tectonic structures along North Anatolian Fault Zone, Northeast of Refahiye (Erzincan), Tectonophysics, 29(1–4) (1975) 401–409.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. M. Ercanoglu, C. Gokceoglu, Assessment of landslide susceptibility for a landslide-prone area (north of Yenice, NW Turkey) by fuzzy approach, Environmental Geology, 41(6) (2002) 720–730.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. C. Gokceoglu, H. Aksoy, Landslide susceptibility mapping of the slopes in the residual soils of the Mengen region (Turkey) by deterministic stability analyses and image processing techniques, Engineering Geology, 44(1–4) (1996) 147–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. A. Uzun, Science and technology policy in Turkey. National strategies for innovation and change during the 1983–2003 period and beyon, Scientometrics, 66(3) (2006) 551–559.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Y. Tubitak, Research, Development and Innovation in Turkey. Research Monograph, (2004), http://vizyon2023.tubitak.gov.tr/yayinlar/.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Engineering, Hacettepe University Beytepe, 06800, Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey

    Candan Gokceoglu

  2. Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, Istanbul, Turkey

    Aral I. Okay

  3. Department of Computer Engineering, Hacettepe University, Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey

    Ebru Sezer

Authors
  1. Candan Gokceoglu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Aral I. Okay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ebru Sezer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Candan Gokceoglu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gokceoglu, C., Okay, A.I. & Sezer, E. International earth science literature from Turkey — 1970–2005: Trends and possible causes. Scientometrics 74, 409–423 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-007-1813-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-007-1813-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation