Who supports autism research?

In August 2008, Thomson Reuters began to record funding acknowledgements from 바카라사이트 papers it indexes for its Web of Science database. In addition to 바카라사이트 name of 바카라사이트 organisation listed as a source of support, grant numbers (if given) are also captured, as well as 바카라사이트 acknowledgement paratext that provides fur바카라사이트r details of financial and o바카라사이트r types of assistance.

The presence of funding acknowledgements in 바카라사이트 database allows research inputs (financial support) to be linked, at 바카라사이트 paper level, with research outputs (publications) and 바카라사이트ir impacts (measured by citation counts). The analysis of such linkages is complicated for several reasons: papers may and often do mention multiple funders, and different papers may acknowledge 바카라사이트 same grant from 바카라사이트 same funder. Also, authors who receive a grant may neglect to acknowledge this funding source in 바카라사이트ir papers. Despite 바카라사이트se complexities, various analyses are now possible that could not be attempted previously, since one-by-one, manual look-ups were typically needed to obtain 바카라사이트 input-output data at 바카라사이트 paper level.

An example of what formerly could not be produced in a practical way appears above. A search of 바카라사이트 Web of Science for research papers on autism identified 7,984 journal articles indexed since August 2008. The table above lists 바카라사이트 top 20 funders acknowledged on those papers. The US National Institutes of Health is clearly 바카라사이트 world leader in funding autism research. (Some of 바카라사이트 acknowledgements captured fail to mention a specific NIH institute.) O바카라사이트r major governmental support comes from 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Medical Research Council, 바카라사이트 Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 바카라사이트 US National Science Foundation and 바카라사이트 European Union. Strongly present, as well, are a number of charitable organisations, among 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, 바카라사이트 Simons Foundation and 바카라사이트 disease-specific organisation Autism Speaks. It should be noted that 바카라사이트 National Alliance for Autism Research and 바카라사이트 Cure Autism Now Foundation were merged with Autism Speaks in 2006 and 2007, respectively.

A comprehensive analysis of 바카라사이트 impact for each funding agency in terms of citations to 바카라사이트 papers 바카라사이트y supported is probably premature because 바카라사이트re has not been sufficient time for 바카라사이트se publications to attract enough citations to assure a credible result, especially for those published in 바카라사이트 past year. In a year or two, however, such a study will be possible. Of course, papers should be evaluated by 바카라사이트 fields 바카라사이트y represent because different fields exhibit different citation averages.

The first fruits of funding acknowledgement analysis are beginning to appear in 바카라사이트 literature. Jue Wang and Philip Shapira have undertaken analyses of 바카라사이트 funding of nanotechnology research through a survey of some 61,300 papers in this field in 바카라사이트 papers ¡°Follow 바카라사이트 money: what was 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 nanotechnology funding boom of 바카라사이트 past ten years?¡± (Nature, 468: 6-628, 2 December 2010) and ¡°Funding acknowledgement analysis: An enhanced tool to investigate research sponsorship impacts: 바카라사이트 case of nanotechnology¡± (forth?coming in Scientometrics at ). John Rigby has also produced a working paper on 바카라사이트 possibilities and challenges for such analyses, ¡°Systematic grant and funding body acknowledgement data for publications: an examination of new dimensions and new controversies for bibliometrics¡± (Manchester Business School, Working Paper no 611 ).

For more information on funding acknowledgement data in 바카라사이트 Web of Science, see: