On the level of coverage and citation of publications by mechanicians of the national academy of sciences of Ukraine in the Scopus database

Abstract

The paper analyzes the level of coverage and citation of publications by mechanicians of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) in the Scopus database. Two groups of mechanicians are considered. One group includes 66 doctors of sciences of the S. P. Timoshenko Institute of Mechanics as representatives of the oldest institute of the NASU. The other group includes 34 members (academicians and corresponding members) of the Division of Mechanics of the NASU as representatives of the authoritative community of mechanicians in Ukraine. The results are presented for each scientist in the form of two indices-the total number of publications accessible in the database as the level of coverage of the scientist's publications in this database and the h-index as the citation level of these publications. This paper may be considered to continue the papers [6-12] published in Prikladnaya MekhanikaIntroduction. The history of science evidences that the analysis and assessment of scientific results obtained by individual researchers is an important aspect in the development of science. Initially, scientific results were reported to colleagues in letters or verbally. However, as the human society developed and the number of people interested in science increased, it became necessary to organize the disclosure of scientific achievements. It had long been realized, and there was a tradition of issuing scientific treatises and periodic scientific journals and holding scientific congresses, conferences, and symposiums. With certain changes, new scientific results have been disclosed in this manner so far, though the analysis and assessment of scientific results became more and more complex.The most qualified assessment of scientific results obtained by a scholar can apparently be given by his colleagues (local, national, or international). Then this assessment is transformed into a public assessment.Note that both objective and subjective factors are involved in the assessment of scientific results. For example, results obtained by some scientists were underestimates by their contemporaries, while some erroneous and sidetracking publications were overestimated.Thus, an assessment of scientific work and its result involves, like any phenomenon, qualitative and quantitative aspects. Assessments of a research often combine both aspects.The most popular is a qualitative assessment of the publications by a scientist (more specifically, a qualitative assessment of scientific results presented in the publications of a scientist). It is universally and regularly used in practices of scientific, educational, departmental, state, and international institutions. This assessment is evident and practical in awarding academic degrees and ranks, appointing to managerial academic and academic and administrative positions, or electing

On non-objective citation to scientific publications on mechanics and control systems

“…Note that issues of citation were detailed in the publications [12,[28][29][30][31][32][33][34], which discuss the evolution of the global scientific information environment. The reason is that "citation indicators become more and more popular and are more and more actively used in various fields to assess scientists' work" [33].Moreover, "…Prof. Eric Thomas, chair of the Research Policy Committee, underlines that since 2008, bibliometric-based indicators will be used for assessing and funding university research.…”