TeamTree analysis: A new approach to evaluate scientific production.

Abstract

Advances in science and technology depend on the work of research teams and the publication of results through peer-reviewed articles representing a growing socio-economic resource. Current methods to mine the scientific literature regarding a field of interest focus on content, but the workforce credited by authorship remains largely unexplored. Notably, appropriate measures of scientific production are debated. Here, a new bibliometric approach named TeamTree analysis is introduced that visualizes the development and composition of the workforce driving a field. A new citation-independent measure that scales with the H index estimates impact based on publication record, genealogical ties and collaborative connections. This author-centered approach complements existing tools to mine the scientific literature and to evaluate research across disciplines.