B. M. Gupta

A comparision of productivity of male and female scientists of CSIR

The paper examines the scientific productivity of male and female scientistts working in the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India at the overall agency level and at the group of laboratories level, characterized by three broad subjects of physical, biological, and engineering sciences. The productivity of scientists is evaluated on the basis of three parameters: the extent of scientists not publishing any paper, the average number of papers per scientist, and using Lotkas approach. In order to find out whether there is any significant difference between male and female productivity distributions, a Chi-square test is used. Studies the applicability of Lotkas inverse power law and some other statistical models in the distribution of scientific productivity of male and female scientists. Concludes that no significant difference exists between productivity distributions of male and female scientists.

Modeling the growth of world social science literature

The main objectives of this study are: (a) to find the applicability of selected growth models to the growth of publications in six sub-disciplines of social sciences, namely anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology, and sociology in the world; and (b) to verify the criteria for selecting the most appropriate growth model suggested by Eggheand Rao (1992).

Assessment of impact of AICTE funding on R&D and educational development

SummaryAn analysis of 330 questionnaires received from project investigators funded by AICTE indicates that project investigators preferred to present their research results at conferences rather than in national and international journals. Impact of funding has been better on human resource capability development as compared to research and technological output. Analysis of data using data envelopment analysis indicates that projects funded under electronics and communication engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and management displayed some consistency and uniformity with regard to impact on various output parameters.

COLLABORATION PROFILE OF THEORETICAL POPULATION GENETICS SPECIALITY

Traces the growth of collaborated and funded research as reflected in research papers in theoretical population genetics research speciality from 1916–80 through a case study. Analyses the proportion and extent of collaborated papers, averge number of authorship per paper, and collaborative coefficient index of research papers thereby giving an overall perspective of the growth of professionalism in the field. Studies the relation between collaboration, productivity, and funding of research papers in theoretical population genetics. Classifies the total collaborative papers/authors by type of collaboration and studies the trends and shifts in the nature and type of collaborative research over the years.

Applicability of selected probability distributions to the number of authors per article in theoretical population genetics

Recently scientists have investigated what statistical distributions can be used to describe the distribution of the number of authors per article.Ajiferuke has undertaken the most comprehensive study of this problem. He has found that by and large the Inverse Gaussian-Poisson distribution could describe most properly the observed authorship distributions. However, it is well known that this distribution is rather intricate, soRousseau tried to fit some simple one-parameter distributions to the number of authors of LIS articles. He has found that the geometric and the truncated Poisson distribution adequately describe these authorship data sets. The main purpose of the present paper is to continue these investigations and to analyse and test the viability of simple statistical distributions. As to (sub)fields where the single author dominates the results ofRousseau were corroborated: the truncated Poisson and the geometric distribution give often adequate fits to describe the number of authors. The Lotka distribution should be rejected. The truncated binomial distribution and the truncated negative binomial were investigated as well. However, it is not clear whether they are acceptable candidates.

Literature growth and author productivity patterns in Indian physics

Abstract Studies the growth of Indian and World physics literature from 1900-50. Explores the applicability of selected technology diffusion models to the growth of literature in Indian and World physics. Focuses on the applicability and validity of two forms of Lotkas Law and negative binomial distribution model to the cumulative author productivity data on Indian physics. Looks at the linkages between inequality/concentration measures and development of Indian physics as a discipline. Explores the relevance and applicability of two well known generalisations, Price Square Root Law and 80/20 Rule to the cumulative author productivity data on Indian physics. Studies the increase in the number of practitioners, at different productivity levels, and the emergence of core authors in Indian physics.

Growth of world and Indian physics literature

The paper deals with the nature of growth models currently used in the literature for modeling the growth of publications. It introduces briefly three growth models and explores the applicability of these models in the growth of world and Indian physics literature. The analysis suggests that the growth of Indian physics literature follows a logistic model, while the growth of world physics literature is explained by a combination of logistic and power models. The criteria for selection of growth models based on the new growth rate functions suggested by Egghe and Ravichandra Rao are given. The methodology suggested by Egghe and Ravichandra Rao is shown to work satisfactorily, except for longer time series growth data, when we may have to restore to data splitting approach, if suggested by the plots of new growth rate functions. This approach helped us to use a combination of two growth models instead of one, to explain the growth of world physics literature.

Scientific productivity of authors in theoretical population genetics

The study analyses the distribution of productivity of authors in theoretical population genetics (TPG) as reflected in their publication output from 1881 to 1980 from two different approaches. The internal dynamics of TPG specialty affecting the distribution of the productivity of authors is studied using time cross-sectional type of approach. Here the productivity distribution of authors in 10 time-year blocks and in three phases of the development (1921-50, 1951-65 and 1966-80) of TPG is studied using cohort type of approach. The extent of cumulative advantage acquired by the prolific group of authors over time in TPG is also studied. The paper also analyzes the regularity in the distribution of productivity of various cohorts, having same length of activity, but different periods of participation.

Science in India: performance of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research laboratories based on the productivity profile of scientists

Lotkas approach was used to study the performance of different Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratories in physical, biological and engineering sciences based on the productivity profile of scientists. The productivity profile of each laboratory, in terms of frequency distribution of scientists and their contributions was generated using the CSIR Directory of Scientists. The profiles were normalised using Lotkas approach. The applicability of Lotkas inverse power law (general and square) and other statistical distributions to the productivity of CSIR scientists at the overall agency level, the group of laboratories level and the individual laboratory level, within each subject was examined. Scientists contributing ten or less papers give a flat productivity distribution; between 11 and 29 papers, tend towards an inverse-square relationship; and more than 29 papers, indicate a flat productivity distribution. A geometric distribution best describes the distribution of scientists at all three levels. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.

Mapping of S&T issues in the Indian Parliament: A scientometric analysis of questions raised in both Houses of the Parliament

The Parliament, the highest legislative body in India, plays a significant role in formulating national policies. It is, therefore, pertinent to find the concern the Members of Parliament and different political parties show and the priorities they accord to the S&T related issues. They can judge it statistically through the number of questions raised/asked on the floor of the House. The study presents such an analysis taking the example from the S&T questions raised in the year 1992 during the Tenth Parliament. The analysis has been done by dividing the S&T related issues into 14 socio-economic areas, such as environmental sciences, biotechnology, energy, food and agriculture, health, natural resources, telecommunications, human resource development, etc. and eight policy areas such as technology policy, international collaborations in S&T, etc. The raising of S&T questions jointly by MPs and different political parties through inter-party and intra-party sponsorships has also been studied. Such an analysis may provide an important basis to the managers and policy makers in formulating the S&T policy of a country.