Abstract
The biological arms race could have been considered a closed chapter in the Cold War history. However, the growth of different terrorist groups and organisations has increased the threat of biological weapon (BW) use. The goal of this pilot scientometric project was to trace changes in biodefense research and the activities of its main players, Russia and the US. Data were collected from the SCI via the Dialog information system for1991-2000, the period covering the post-soviet era. In-depth content analysis was performed on selected papers from the 2870 publications identified as BW-related. During the period examined, the publication flow increased by 250 percent. The main contributors to this literature were shown to be the US, Russia, UK, France and Germany. The results presented in this paper are of interest to security analysts (following the attacks in the US of 11th September 2001), to public health care policy researchers and to politicians.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lewis, R., BW research proliferates, The Scientist, 12 (9)(1998) 1, 8–10.
Alibek, K., Handelman S., Biohazard. Random House, New York, 1999.
Dennis, D. T., Inglesby, T. V., Henderson, D. A., Bartlett, J. G., Ascher, M. S., Eitzen, E., Fine, A. D., Friedlander, A. M., Hauer, J., Layton, M., Lillibridge, S. R., Mcdade, J. E., Osterholm, M. T., O'toole, T., Parker, G., Perl, T. M., Russell, P. K., Tonat, K., Tularemia as a biological weapon: Medical and public health management (Consensus Statement), Journal of the American Medical Association, 285 (2001) 2763-2773.
Wheelis, M., Deterring bioweapons development, Science, 291 (5511) 16 March 2001: p. 2098.
Markusova, V., Arapov, M., Aversa, E., Collaboration between American and Russian scientists. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Scientometrics & Informetrics, Colima, Mexico. Universidad de Colima, Colima, 1999, pp. 323-330.
Science & Engineering Indicators 2000, National Science Foundation, Arlington, U.S., 2000.
Trunova, K., Sutyagin espionage trial resumes, Moscow Times, 2001, February 27, p. 4.
Mangold T., Goldgerg G., Plague Wars. Macmillan, London, 1999.
Beaver, D., Rosen, R., Studies in scientific collaboration. Part 1. The professional origins of scientific co-authorship, Scientometrics, 1 (1979) 65-84.
Lewinson, G., Must, U., Estonian international co-operation in science in the 1990s: New politics, new methods. Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Scientometrics & Informetrics., BIRG, Sydney, Australia 2001. Vol. 1, pp. 385-393.
Markusova, V. A., Minin V. A., Libkind A. N., Arapov M. V., Jansz C. N., Tijssen R., Russia science in transition: The effects of new granting systems on research activity and output, Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Scienometrics & Informetrics., BIRG, Sydney, Australia 2001. Vol. 1, pp. 427-438.
Tucker, J. B., Bioweapons from Russia: Stemming the flow, Issues in Science and Technology, 15 (3) (1999) 34-38.
Stone, R., Russia, NIH float big plan for former Soviet Bioweapons Lab, Science, 291 (5512) (2001) 2288-2289.
Mahy, B. W. J., ALMOND, J. W., Berns, K. I., Chanlock, R. M., Lvov, D. K., Pettersson, R. F., Schatzmayer, H. G., Fenner, F., The remaining stocks of smallpox virus should be destroyed. Science, 262 (1993) 1223-1224.
Henderson, D., Fenner, F., Observation on the resolution of issues pertaining to variola virus destruction in 2002, Commentary on Smallpox, WHO, 2001.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Markusova, V., Wilson, C.S. & Davis, M. From bioweapon to biodefense. Scientometrics 53, 21–38 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014827819263
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014827819263