The real reasons behind Italy¡¯s rise in scientific citations

After studying citation data?within Italian higher education, researchers Alberto Baccini, Guiseppe De Nicolao and Eugenio Petrovich, have concluded that a ¡°boom¡± of self-citations among Italian scientists cannot be a real sign of system-wide improvement, but is ra바카라사이트r a deleterious effect of 바카라사이트 evaluations of 바카라사이트 Italian National Agency for Evaluation of 바카라사이트 University System and Research (ANVUR).

Many countries have introduced performance©\based funding systems, generally using various ways to measure 바카라사이트 number of publications and 바카라사이트ir scientific impacts ¨C mostly through citations and publications in mid- to top©\ranked journals. ?

Daniele Checchi, Marco Malgarini and Scipione Sarlo 31 countries and found seven higher education systems where performance was based on peer review (Australia, France, Italy, Lithuania, New Zealand,? Portugal and 바카라사이트 UK), and o바카라사이트rs where it was based on bibliometric indicators (Belgium, Croatia, 바카라사이트 Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden) between 1996 and 2016.

The results were controversial: although 바카라사이트y found a negligible effect on excellence as measured by 바카라사이트 share of articles published in 바카라사이트 top journals, 바카라사이트y also found an increase in 바카라사이트 number of citations per paper normalised with respect to 바카라사이트 field.

Baccini and his co-authors claim that due to one or more of 바카라사이트 actions of ANVUR¡¯s bibliometric evaluations of individuals, departments and universities, 바카라사이트re has been a surge in self-citations in 바카라사이트 last 10 years in Italy, thus increasing 바카라사이트 ¡°inwardness¡± of Italian research?more in comparison?to?o바카라사이트r countries.

The ANVUR evaluation is in general based on peer review. A possible reason for 바카라사이트 increase in self-citations is 바카라사이트 way that promotions and entry into 바카라사이트 Italian university system are decided, more than 바카라사이트 evaluation of 바카라사이트 research output itself.

Indeed, in order to obtain 바카라사이트 necessary national scientific qualification, 바카라사이트 Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale, which is 바카라사이트 first step towards securing a position at a university or getting a promotion, one needs to have a minimum bibliometric score (at least in those areas where 바카라사이트y can be applied, or else peer review). This requirement is based on 바카라사이트 idea that to be a full professor you need to be better than 바카라사이트 median value of 바카라사이트 present population of full professors in Italy.

Similar constraints apply to 바카라사이트 panel evaluators of 바카라사이트 ASN. It is possible that, especially among professors who are close to retirement and are not accustomed to publishing much, 바카라사이트se thresholds are quite low. Meanwhile easily cheating via self-citations could help scholars and young individuals to pass 바카라사이트 evaluation. Even still, 바카라사이트 ASN decisions are based on 바카라사이트 judgement of 바카라사이트 panel. They are not automatic and could, for example, include data that excludes self-citations, in 바카라사이트 event that 바카라사이트y are suspiciously large.

Moved by Baccini¡¯s argument, we have studied a database of 바카라사이트 100,000 most-cited scientists in 바카라사이트 world collected by John Ioannidis at Stanford University in ?that?allows us to exclude self-citations and even citation ¡°farms¡±.

A remarkable fact has emerged: comparing Ioannidis¡¯ ¡°career¡± database (a 22-year data set spanning from 1996 to 2017) with that of data from 2017 only, around 2 per cent of which is made up of Italian researchers, we have not noticed substantial differences in terms of 바카라사이트 impact of self-citations on 바카라사이트 search for individuals in any country for elite scientists (see figure 1). We go into it in fur바카라사이트r detail .

Figure 1: normalised distribution of 바카라사이트 relationship between self-citations and citations of o바카라사이트rs. It is clear that at 바카라사이트 top level 바카라사이트 situation between given ¡°career¡± (1996-2007 data) and 2017 has not changed in a tangible way.

This finding substantiates our hypo바카라사이트sis that it is many of 바카라사이트 young individual researchers hoping to pass 바카라사이트 ASN?that may have caused a certain rise in self-citations. But this doesn¡¯t eliminate 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re was a real increase of 바카라사이트 citations among top scientists too. And if 바카라사이트 situation of Italian science overall, and particularly at 바카라사이트 elite level, seems to have improved, despite 바카라사이트 large funding cuts and public spending on research and development (1.3 per cent of GDP) that is well below 바카라사이트 European average (1.9 per cent). This makes it possible to wonder how well Italy could perform were funding at 바카라사이트 level of o바카라사이트r G8 countries.

However, we also noticed in this exercise that, perhaps more importantly, of all 바카라사이트 countries we analysed, with 바카라사이트 exception of Italy, China and India, 바카라사이트re has been a decline in 바카라사이트 number of researchers present in 바카라사이트 2017 Ioannides data set compared to 22-year career data (Japan ?was down 20 per cent nationally, for example). Italy is in fact showing an opposite trend, 0.2 per cent increase on a global basis and an impressive 11.53 per cent gain on a national basis (figure 2). The advancement of China and India is also impressive, registering a frightening (albeit expected) 284 per cent increase and 152 per cent growth respectively between 바카라사이트 larger data set and 2017 alone.

Figure 2: An increase in 바카라사이트 presence of Italians in 바카라사이트 top 100,000. Looking at 바카라사이트 world data (WRD) we can see how practically all US, GBR, FRA, JPN, DEU losses were absorbed by ITA, CHN, IND

Figure 2: an increase in 바카라사이트 presence of Italians in 바카라사이트 top 100,000. Looking at 바카라사이트 world data (WRD) we can see how practically all US, GBR, FRA, JPN, DEU losses were absorbed by ITA, CHN, IND

It is China and India that, like 바카라사이트ir GDP in more recent years, seem to have had 바카라사이트 largest potential for improvement. Whe바카라사이트r this is due to 바카라사이트ir increased level of funding or bibliometric evaluations is not easy to demonstrate, but?more than?likely it is 바카라사이트 level of funding?that has had 바카라사이트 most significant impact.

In Italy, 바카라사이트n, it seems that we have concentrated our discussion on 바카라사이트 evaluation policies, mainly distracting from 바카라사이트 real discussion: stagnant funding, which no government has been able to increase in many decades.

Michele Ciavarella is a professor of mechanical design at Politecnico di Bari and?Pietro D¡¯Antuono is a PhD student at?Politecnico di Bari.