Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology 10(12): 1435-1440, 2015 DOI: 10.19026/rjaset.10.1845 ISSN: 2040-7459; e-ISSN: 2040-7467 © 2015 Maxwell Scientific Publication Corp. Submitted: April 17, 2015 Accepted: May 10, 2015 Published: August 25, 2015

Research Article Sweet Spots for Manuscripts: Visualizing the Quality of Scientific Production

1Patricio Ramírez-Correa, 2Jorge Alfaro-Pérez, 3F. Javier Rondan-Cataluña and 3Jorge Arenas-Gaitán 1Escuela de Ciencias Empresariales, 2Escuela de Ingeniería, Universidad Católica del Norte, 3Departamento de Administración de Empresas y Marketing, Universidad de Sevilla, España

Abstract: This study presents a visual approach to analyze scientific activity in indexed journals based on bibliometric indicators. The result of this analysis approach supports the process of choosing a journal to submit a manuscript, especially in knowledge domains where the author, whether novice or not, has failed to follow in detail the evolution of the domain. Moreover, the same approach can be used to an overall assessment of the production of researchers, research groups, institutions and countries. The conceptual foundations of the approach are volume and citation indicators of scientific journals articles. In particular, the proposed approach is based on SCImago Journal Rank index, the h-index and the annual number of articles published. The above indicators are transformed into percentiles and then displayed on a graph, integrating in this diagram the set of articles to be analyzed. The analysis approach was implemented in Sweet Spots for Manuscripts, online software based on open source components. As an example of its potential, an analysis of the 2014 research activity of the institutions belonging to the Council of Rectors of Chilean is presented. Finally, the practical implications and opportunities for future research are discussed.

Keywords: Academic journals, bibliometric indicators, Chilean universities, visualization

INTRODUCTION In this context, the aim of this study is to present a visual approach for analyzing scientific activity in Information is the key element of research activity. indexed journals based on bibliometric indicators. The It is the researcher who decides how to obtain the result of this analysis can be useful to support the information, what to do with it, how to treat it and choice of a scientific journal to submit a manuscript finally, how and to whom it is delivered (Sarabia, with research findings, especially in knowledge 1999). And although today the huge volume and the domains where the author is a novice. Moreover, the great facility of access to digital media scientific same approach can be used to obtain an overall information generates a promising turn scenario, this assessment of the production of researchers, research presents difficulties for its valuation and synthesis in an groups, institutions or countries. The following section efficient manner (Ramirez-Correa and García-Cruz, explains the conceptual basis of the analysis approach. 2004). In particular, the significant rate of growth of The subsequent section introduces the computational new scientific journals (Larsen and von Ins, 2010), program Sweet Spots for Manuscripts (SSfM). Then, imposes a cardinal challenge for the researcher: What is the result of applying SSfM to the 2014 research the appropriate journal to disseminate research results? activity in institutions belonging to the Council of Answering this question is a key milestone in the Rectors of Chilean Universities is presented. And scientific process (Kelner, 2007; Resta et al ., 2010). On finally, the last section provides a discussion of the the other hand, in the last decade, there have been possible practical implications and opportunities for efforts to help evaluate and synthesize various domains future studies. of scientific knowledge. Knowledge Domain Visualization (KDViz) deals with the analysis and METHODOLOGY modeling of the structure and dynamics of a scientific domain (Chen and Hicks, 2004). While in KDViz, Conceptual basis of the analysis approach: Until just various techniques are used, such as exploratory data a couple of decades ago, the review of the scientific analysis, information retrieval and text mining (Chen, literature had a strong qualitative mark. It was work of 2006), the knowledge domain visualization is the researcher, after analyzing scientific articles, to traditionally based on citations (Kraker et al ., 2015). evaluate the state of the art of the topic addressed in the

Corresponding Author: Patricio Ramírez-Correa, Escuela de Ciencias Empresariales, Universidad Católica del Norte, Chile This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 1435

Res. J. Appl. Sci. Eng. Technol., 10(12): 1435-1440, 2015 form of an essay (Sánchez-Meca, 1999). Today, with directed links between nodes represent citation the huge amount of articles to which researchers has relationships among those journals (González-Pereira access through the Internet and the many databases et al ., 2010). On the other hand, the h-index was available, it is necessary to distinguish relevant articles proposed to measure the impact of an author with the and sources for the researcher, incorporating total number of publications and citations generated increasingly quantitative elements for this task. from them, specifically, it is defined as the largest Following this idea, the meta-analysis to address the number h such that h publications have received at least generalization of partial results collected by several researches was developed. However, besides its main h citations each (Hirsch, 2005). The same way as for objective, the meta-analysis is an important tool to authors, this index can be calculated for scientific guide research on any topic (Arenas and García, 2005). journals. This method has answered questions such as: Operationalization of the analysis approach: SSfM • What sample sizes have been used software was built to implement the analysis approach. • Characteristics of the samples SSfM operates online and is based on Java, PHP and • Most important authors Postgre SQL (http://www.sweetspotsweb.com). The • Journals that have been published the most inputs to SSfM are exported files as results of searches • Temporal analysis of the occurrence of articles, etc in Elsevier’s Scopus database (http://www.scopus. com). Scopus is a bibliographic database covering On the other hand, different databases have about 20,000 journals in the scientific, technical, incorporated features that facilitate some of this medical and social sciences. In addition, SSfM is used information within their browsers. The analysis for processing the data taken from the SCImago Journal approach that supports SSfM goes a step further in this and Country Rank site (http://www.scimagojr.com). line. Giving answers to researchers when analyzing the SCImago Journal and Country Rank site annually literature and designing their own publishing strategies. updates bibliometric indicators for journals contained in Specifically, the proposed analysis approach is Scopus. based on volume and citation indicators associated with Given the differences between disciplines in scientific journals articles. Citations are explicit relation to the volume of publications in each journal relationships between articles that have common and the number of citations to each article, in SSfM the aspects (Chandy and Williams, 1994), these indicators used in the analysis must be transformed into relationships are essential to build knowledge in a percentiles. Therefore, each journal is valued at three particular discipline and are one of the foundations on ranges of percentiles: which the scientific method is built (Knight et al ., 2000). • SJR These citations can be seen as social exchanges • h-index between authors and readers (Zinkhan et al ., 1992) and • Annual number of published articles therefore the citation to a particular article can be considered as an quality indicator of such work (Knight Based on the input provided by the user and using the et al ., 2000). The "valuable" articles will be cited and indicators in its own database, SSfM generates an drive both new research and future publishing efforts. A integrated graphic as a visualization element (Fig. 1). In journal that is most often cited is more used by the this graph, each circle represents a scientific journal scientific community and thus will be more attractive to into the data contained in the files that were provided submit new manuscripts. If we do not consider other by the user to the application. The color depends on the elements in our analysis, more manuscripts increase percentile of the journal regarding its h-index, the circle competition for publication space in that journal and is red if less or equal to the 33%, it is yellow if it is associated with this, the quality of the journal will between the 33 and 66% and it is green if it is higher increase. Then, the number of citations can be than 66%. The position on the X axis of the circle is considered a scientific journals quality indicator. In associated with the percentile of the SJR index by the particular, the approach is based on two indicators journal. On the other hand, the position on the Y axis of related to citations, SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) index the circle is associated with the percentile of the annual (González-Pereira et al ., 2010) and h-index (Hirsch, number of articles published in the journal. The size of 2005) and one associated with the volume, annual each circle indicates the number of journal articles into number of published articles. The SJR index is a the data files that were provided by the user. scientific journal prestige indicator and is calculated Finally, SSfM incorporates filters to the graph through a network of citations to the journal in which associated with the area, category and the country of the the nodes represent the active journal sources and the scientific journals. 1436

Res. J. Appl. Sci. Eng. Technol., 10(12): 1435-1440, 2015

Fig. 1: Implementation of the analysis approach in SSfM

Fig. 2: Analysis in SSfM of of Chile by 2014 (group 1)

THE RESEARCH ACTIVITY OF THE For purposes of facilitating the comparison of INSTITUTIONS BELONGING TO THE institutions with similar volumes of scientific COUNCIL OF RECTORS OF CHILEAN production, the following procedure was performed. UNIVERSITIES Based on production information of articles contained in SCImago Institutions Ranking (SIR), a global report By way of example, the analysis approach that ranks more than 2000 of the best research implemented in SSfM is applied to the results of the institutions and following the idea of classification of 2014 research activity of institutions belonging to the Chilean Universities of Ramírez and Alfaro (2012), a Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH, hierarchical cluster analysis was performed. This Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Chilenas). analysis identified four groups; the first three groups are CRUCH is an organization created for the national composed of universities within the SIR report (which coordination of academic activity of the 25 Chilean are grouped by volume) and the fourth group consists universities that comprise it, ensuring the quality and of those institutions that are not in the report. For excellence of them. The institutions belonging to reasons of space in this study, the results for all CRUCH directly generate over 87% of the research institutions can be obtained on the site http:// www. produced in Chile with international visibility (Ramírez sweetspotsweb.com. and Alfaro, 2013). Below the results of this analysis are The first group consists of , shown. Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and University 1437

Res. J. Appl. Sci. Eng. Technol., 10(12): 1435-1440, 2015 of Concepción. Figure 2 shows the result for the first The fourth group consists of University of Playa university. Ancha, , University of Los The second group consists of University of Lagos, , Catholic University de Chile, Federico Santa María Technical of the Maule, Catholic University of the Most Holy Conception, Catholic University of Temuco, University, Austral University of Chile, Pontifical Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences, Catholic University of Valparaíso, University of La Metropolitan University of Technology and Arturo Prat Frontera, Catholic University of the North, University University. Figure 5 shows the result for the first of Valparaiso and . Figure 3 shows university. the result for the first university. If we review the results, globally we can say that The third group consists of University of Tarapacá, the saturation in the graph decreases rapidly from University of the Bío Bío, University of Antofagasta Group 1 to the following groups, denoting the clear and . Figure 4 shows the result difference between this group and other institutions for the first university in this group. belonging to CRUCH.

Fig. 3: Analysis in SSfM of University of Santiago de Chile by 2014 (group 2)

Fig. 4: Analysis in SSfM of University of Tarapacá by 2014 (group 3) 1438

Res. J. Appl. Sci. Eng. Technol., 10(12): 1435-1440, 2015

Fig. 5: Analysis in SSfM of University of Playa Ancha by 2014 (group 4)

About Group 1, we note that there are many the assessment and synthesis of a knowledge domain, prestigious journals where these institutions publish especially when the image is produced by a computer their results, however, it is surprising that given the system as SSfM, as it allows to operate with large scientific orientation of the institutions in this group, volumes of data quickly. Consequently, the use of there are numerous publications in journals of low SSfM should be considered by any researcher in the prestige. process to decide where to send your manuscript. SSfM About Group 2, we can say that compared to supports not only knowledge domains where the author Group 1, a clear decrease in publications in prestigious is a novice, but is also relevant for already consolidated journals is seen. Furthermore, there is a greater authors. This latter is because both the thematic and dispersion of the prestige of the journals where research indicators of journals, as well the topics on publishing results are published. This structure may be associated are changing and the authors do not always follow these with policies to encourage research that reward volume developments in detail. Furthermore, new journals over quality. In relation to this, a difference between constantly appear while others disappear. Therefore, institutions is viewed within the group, for example; the having an updated vision is invariably useful for the Catholic University of the North has less volume than consolidated author. the Universidad de la Frontera, but clearly higher Second, it is advisable to have chosen the journal journals prestige. The same happens between Federico you will send a manuscript to before completing it, i.e., Santa María Technical University and the University of during the writing process and is always appropriate to Santiago de Chile. see if the topic of work is aligned to the editorial policy About Group 3, it can be noted that in addition to of the journal, if the journal appears in our cited having fewer publications than Group 2, the prestige of the journals where research results are published references, the length of articles published, number of decreases, in fact, except for the University of La articles published per year, if they are methodological Serena, the volume is associated with journals with an or more theoretical journals, etc. (Carbonell and Calvó, average or low prestige. 2009). Therefore, the use of SSfM be done in the early And finally, on Group 4 we can indicate that stages of writing the manuscript. because of the low volume of publications, there is no Third, the approach can be used for a rapid and clear pattern and while there are publications in high- comprehensive research results evaluation of authors or impact journals, this fact is an odd element among a institutions. This implies that organizations that need to few publications in journals of lower prestige. assess their researchers may consider using SSfM as a

management control tool. DISCUSSION And fourth, with this approach it is possible to The main practical implications of this approach observe patterns of behavior that contrast volume and can be summarized in four points. quality of research results, thereby allowing to establish First, concentrating on a single image the result of research strategies at individual, team and/or the research activity is useful and an efficient way for institutional levels. 1439

Res. J. Appl. Sci. Eng. Technol., 10(12): 1435-1440, 2015

As opportunities for future studies, we suggest Knight, G.A., G.T. Hult and E. Bashaw, 2000. Research three ideas. The first, in relation to the approach, it is Productivity in the journal of business research: possible to incorporate other bibliometric indicators 1985-1999. J. Bus. Res., 49(3): 303-314. such as citations per document and the rejection rate of Kraker, P., C. Schlögl, K. Jack and S. Lindstaedt, 2015. each journal. The second and related to SSfM, it would Visualization of co-readership patterns from an be useful to incorporate a new feature that shows how a graph decomposes and evolves by year, within the time online reference management system. J. Informetr., frame of the analysis. You might also consider 9(1): 169-182. searching in Scopus within SSfM and analyze not only Larsen, P.O. and M. Von Ins, 2010. The rate of growth journals but sub knowledge areas. And a third possible in scientific publication and the decline in coverage area of future studies is associated with the CRUCH provided by science citation index. example, it would be advisable to conduct a study that Scientometrics, 84(3): 575-603. shows how institutions have progressed over the last Ramírez, P.E. and J.L. Alfaro, 2012. Desincentivo a la three decades, a period where the volume of investigación: Resultado del comportamiento publications in Chile has tripled. inequitativo del modelo de Aporte Fiscal Directo

(AFD) a las universidades chilenas. Form. Univ., REFERENCES 5(4): 27-36. Arenas, J. and R. García, 2005. Revisión meta-analítica Ramírez, P.E. and J.L. Alfaro, 2013. Evaluación de la de la literatura como guía para la investigación. eficiencia de las universidades pertenecientes al Proceeding of the 15th Spanish-Portuguese consejo de rectores de las Universidades Chilenas: Meeting of Scientific Management (XV Jornadas Resultados de un análisis envolvente de Hispano-Lusas de Gestión Científica), University datos. Form. Univ., 6(3): 31-38. of Seville, pp: 39-55. Ramirez-Correa, P. and R. García-Cruz, 2004. El meta Carbonell, X. and N. Calvó, 2009. Las revistas análisis como instrumento de investigación en la españolas de Psicología: Cómo elegir la revista determinación y análisis del objeto de studio. donde publicar. An. Psicol., 25(2): 209-216. Chandy, P.R. and T.G.E. Williams, 1994. The impact of Proceeding of the 16th Meeting of University journals and authors on international business Professors of Marketing (Actas de los XVI research: A citational analysis of JIBS articles. Encuentros de Profesores Universitarios de J. Int. Bus. Stud., 25(4): 715-728. Marketing), Alicante, pp: 341-357. Chen, C., 2006. Knowledge Domain Resta, R.G., P. Mccarthy Veach, S. Charles, K. Vogel, Visualization. Information Visualization: Beyond T. Blase and C.G.S. Palmer, 2010. Publishing a the Horizon. Springer, London. master’s thesis: A guide for Novice authors. Chen, C. and D. Hicks, 2004. Tracing knowledge J. Genet. Couns., 19(3): 217-227. diffusion. Scientometrics, 59(2): 199-211. Sánchez-Meca, J., 1999. Metaanálisis Para la González-Pereira, B., V.P. Guerrero-Bote and F. Moya- Investigación Científica. In: Sarabia, F.J. (Ed.), Anegón, 2010. A new approach to the metric of journals’ scientific prestige: The SJR indicator. Metodología Para la Investigación en Marketing y J. Informetr., 4(3): 379-391. Dirección de Empresas. Ediciones Pirámide, Hirsch, J.E., 2005. An index to quantify an individual's Madrid, pp: 173-200. scientific research output. P. Natl. Acad. Sci. Sarabia, F.J., 1999. Definición Del Tema a Investigar. U.S.A., 102(46): 16569-16572. In: Sarabia, F.J. (Ed.), Metodología Para la Kelner, K., 2007. Tips for Publishing in Scientific Investigación en Marketing y Dirección de Journals. Science Careers, April 6. Retrieved from: Empresas. Ediciones Pirámide, Madrid, pp: 69-94. http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_develo Zinkhan, G.M., M. Roth and M.J. Saxton, 1992. pment/previous_issues/articles/2007_04_06/caredit Knowledge development and scientific status in _a 0700046/ (parent)/158. (Accessed on: consumer behavior research: A social exchange September 5, 2007) perspective. J. Consum. Res., 19(2): 282-291.

1440