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This study performed two phases of analysis to shed light on the performance and thematic evolution of China’s quantum cryptography (QC) research. First, large-scale research publication metadata derived from QC research published from 2001–2017 was used to examine the research performance of China relative to that of global peers using established quantitative and qualitative measures. Second, this study identified the thematic evolution of China’s QC research using co-word cluster network analysis, a computational science mapping technique. The results from the first phase indicate that over the past 17 years, China’s performance has evolved dramatically, placing it in a leading position. Among the most significant findings is the exponential rate at which all of China’s performance indicators (i.e., Publication Frequency, citation score, H-index) are growing. China’s H-index (a normalized indicator) has surpassed all other countries’ over the last several years. The second phase of analysis shows how China’s main research focus has shifted among several QC themes, including quantum-key-distribution, photon-optical communication, network protocols, and quantum entanglement with an emphasis on applied research. Several themes were observed across time periods (e.g., photons, quantum-key-distribution, secret-messages, quantum-optics, quantum-signatures); some themes disappeared over time (e.g., computer-networks, attack-strategies, bell-state, polarization-state), while others emerged more recently (e.g., quantum-entanglement, decoy-state, unitary-operation). Findings from the first phase of analysis provide empirical evidence that China has emerged as the global driving force in QC. Considering China is the premier driving force in global QC research, findings from the second phase of analysis provide an understanding of China’s QC research themes, which can provide clarity into how QC technologies might take shape. QC and science and technology policy researchers can also use these findings to trace previous research directions and plan future lines of research.

The objective of this paper was to identify the intellectual profile of the Ebola research specialty and its behavior from its inception to 2014. This objective was met by chronologically mapping the information flows within the specialty using bibliometric and citation data extracted from 1638 Ebola research documents in conjunction with Histcite to produce an algorithmic historiography representing a view of the Ebola specialty's intellectual profile and evolution. The present study was guided by the following research questions. What is the bibliometric profile of the Ebola specialty in terms of publication output and the impact of its authors, journals, institutions, countries, and years? What influential Ebola research has been produced since its discovery, and how has the research evolved? The most significant results show the Ebola specialty citation network as a smallworld and highly cohesive network. The Ebola specialty citation network was found to be symmetrical in structure and segmented into four distinct cliques representing specific research focuses (i.e., uncovering divergent strains, immune responses and vaccines, Ebola's pathogenesis, Ebola's molecular structure and physiology). Key authors and contributing journals were identified. The most substantial contributions to the specialty were from the government and academia. The Ebola specialty had a slow publication output and oscillating citation activity for the first few decades, coinciding with several outbreaks. The greatest production of Ebola research articles occurred after 2000, along with exponential citation behavior.