Scientometrics & Semantic
Maps for Development?
Sarah Cummings (IKM) & Iina Hellsten (VU/Athena)

Context
• How to map differences in the codification of
knowledge management and/ or
development?
• Methods from scientometrics and
bibliometrics, incl. citation, co-authorships and
semantic map analysis
• Project with Sarah Cummings

Introduction
• What is scientometrics?
• “science of science” since 1978
• uses bibliometrics to map publication behavior
• origin in study of scientific publications
• main applications: citation & co-authorship analysis
• What are semantic maps?
* multiple in the text analysis
* can be applied beyond science
* mapping implicit frames across actors / discourses
(e.g. sciences, the mass media, policy documents…)

Citation analysis
Idea:
* scientific publications (with bibliographies)
* author / article level: A. who cites whom
B. which authors get most citations
* journal level: which journals cite each others articles
* citations across domains (Triple helix: patents – publications)
Aim
* view into discipline & specialty formation
* A. changes over time & B. comparisons between disciplines,
journals etc.
* impact of the publications
Limitations:
* restricted to publications with list of references

Example of citation analysis:
Development journals in 2007
Main journals
(in Web of
Science):
1) World
Development
2) Development
and Change
3) Journal of
Development
Studies
Source:
Loet
Citation impact environment of World Development in 2007. Leydesdorff
(1% threshold; cosine > 0.2)

Co-authorship analysis
Idea:
• Co-authorship networks, global and local; national and international
• Who publishes with whom (disciplinary differences & development
over time)
• Co-authorships between university-industry-government (Triple
Helix)
Aim:
• General view on dynamics of collaborations; inter- and
transdisciplinary
Limitations:
* restricted to publications with list of references

Example of co-authorship analysis:
Dutch authors in Development and Change
Co-authorships of Dutch authors publishing in Development and Change, the core 30 co-
authorships, 2005-2008

Semantic maps
• Idea
• Automated analysis of communications (texts)
• Different levels of codification (e.g. science / mass
media / policy / practice)
• Aims
* development of a debate over time (e.g. stem-cell research)
* differences across discourses within one debate (such as the mass
media vs. sciences vs. economics vs. policy-making)
* differences in debates on the same topic across countries (U.S. vs.
Europe vs. Asia / UK vs. Netherlands…)
* …and would be able to detect emerging sub-debates (within stem-cell
debate across the discourses and the countries)?

Comparing semantics?
Leydesdorff & Hellsten, 2005, p.66

Example of semantic maps:
“Millennium Development Goals” in Dutch newspapers
“Millennium Development Goals in Dutch newspapers, 2005-2008 (69 news items)

Next steps
• Semantic maps on scientific, journalistic,
policy and practice documents (MDG
debate)
• Different topics of debate
• Different level of codification
• Citation and co-authorship analysis on
industry-government-academia relations

Expected outcomes
• Conference presentation: Towards
Knowledge Democracy –conference
(Leiden, 25-27 August, 2009)
• Article(s)…
• Discussion on new methodological
avenues and their limitations

Thank you!
Questions?
• More information (methods):
– www.leydesdorff.net
On semantic maps:
– Leydesdorff Loet & Hellsten Iina (2006) ”Measuring the meanings of words in contexts: automated analysis
of ‘Monarch butterflies’, ‘Frankenfoods’ and ‘stem cells’”, Scientometrics 67(2): 231-258.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/c62j88v730283u6g/?p=23707c3755064670899a072308837605&pi=5
– Leydesdorff Loet & Hellsten Iina (2005) ”Metaphors and Diaphors in Science Communication: Mapping the
Case of Stem-Cell Research”, Science Communication 27(1): 64-99.
http://scx.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/27/1/64