Acta Scientiarum. Biological Sciences ISSN: 1679-9283 [email protected] Universidade Estadual de Maringá Brasil Fatoreto Schwind, Leilane Talita; Déo Dias, Juliana; Yoshio Joko, Ciro; Costa Bonecker, Claudia; Lansac-Tôha, Fábio Amodêo Advances in studies on testate amoebae (Arcellinida and Euglyphida): a scientometric approach Acta Scientiarum. Biological Sciences, vol. 35, núm. 4, octubre-diciembre, 2013, pp. 549-555 Universidade Estadual de Maringá .png, Brasil Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=187129138012 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Acta Scientiarum http://www.uem.br/acta ISSN printed: 1679-9283 ISSN on-line: 1807-863X Doi: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v35i4.18184 Advances in studies on testate amoebae (Arcellinida and Euglyphida): a scientometric approach Leilane Talita Fatoreto Schwind1*, Juliana Déo Dias1, Ciro Yoshio Joko2, Claudia Costa Bonecker1 1 and Fábio Amodêo Lansac-Tôha 1Núcleo de Pesquisa em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, 87020-900, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. 2Centro de Ensino Unificado do Distrito Federal, Universidade do Distrito Federal, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil. *Author for correspondence. E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT. Testate amoebae have a great potential for use in scientific researches due to their ecological characteristics such as abundance, wealth, and generation time. In this way, this study aimed to present a scientometric analysis to describe the evolution of the different advances in researches on testate amoebae and identify a temporal pattern in this evolution. The literature review was based on papers indexed by Thomson Reuters (www.isiwebofknowledge.com) and SciVerse Scopus (www.scopus.com). In total 562 papers were examined. Results showed a pattern of evolution in scientific studies, most with ecological approach with descriptive and predictive designs. At the global level, researches on testate amoebae progressed in both the number of articles published as well as in the areas studied, especially in Europe and North America. The low number of experimental studies and review articles can characterize the lack of more knowledge to be acquired, both from particular observations (descriptive studies) as well as the observations noted sufficiently predictive of work. In Brazil, studies with testate amoebae are still developing, concentrated in only some regions, but the increased number of studies in recent years allows the prediction of the same overall patterns of advance for Brazilian researches. Thus, we conclude that these organisms are being increasingly used as a tool response in ecological studies. Keywords: protest, geographical distribution, scientometric analysis, time trend. Avanços nos estudos sobre amebas testáceas (Arcellinida e Euglyphida): uma abordagem cienciométrica RESUMO. Amebas testáceas possuem grande potencial de utilização em pesquisas de caráter científico pelas suas características ecológicas como abundância, riqueza, e tempo de geração. Nesse sentido, o objetivo do presente estudo foi apresentar uma análise cienciométrica, a fim de descrever a evolução das diferentes abordagens nas pesquisas de tecamebas e identificar um padrão temporal nessa evolução. A revisão dos artigos científicos foi realizada com base nos artigos indexados pela base Thomson Reuters (www.isiwebofknowledge.com) e pela base SciVerse Scopus (www.scopus.com). Foram analisados 562 artigos científicos. Os resultados demonstraram um padrão de evolução nos trabalhos científicos, sendo a maioria de cunho ecológico com delineamentos descritivos e preditivos. Em âmbito global, as pesquisas com tecamebas apresentaram evolução tanto no número de artigos publicados bem como nas áreas estudadas, principalmente na Europa e América do Norte. O baixo número de trabalhos experimentais e de revisão pode caracterizar a falta de maiores conhecimentos a serem ainda adquiridos, tanto a partir das observações particulares (trabalhos descritivos) bem como das observações suficientemente constatadas dos trabalhos preditivos. No Brasil, as pesquisas com amebas testáceas ainda estão em processo de desenvolvimento, concentradas em apenas algumas regiões. Entretanto, o aumento no número de publicações nos últimos anos possibilita a previsão dos mesmos padrões de evolução globais para as pesquisas brasileiras. Assim, é possível concluir que esses organismos estão sendo cada vez mais utilizados como ferramenta resposta nos estudos ecológicos. Palavras-chave: protista, distribuição geográfica, análise cienciométrica, tendência temporal. Introduction These organisms are essentially aquatic and Testate amoebae (Arcellinida and Euglyphida) are present in a wide array of moist, freshwater habitats, protozoa with cytoplasm partially enclosed in a shell or preferentially occupying biotopes associated with test, with an oral aperture through which pseudopods marginal vegetation and sediment (ALVES et al., protrude for locomotion or feeding (SMITH et al., 2012; LANSAC-TÔHA et al., 2007; 2008). MATTHEUSSEN et al., 2005). Besides that, several Acta Scientiarum. Biological Sciences Maringá, v. 35, n. 4, p. 549-555, Oct.-Dec., 2013 550 Schwind et al. other studies have registered high densities in experimental (studies performed in laboratory under plankton (ALVES et al., 2007, 2012; LANSAC- controlled conditions), and review (literature TÔHA et al., 2004, 2008a, 2009; VELHO et al., review). For the studies conducted in Brazil, the 1999, 2004). same classification was employed, but the Abundance, richness and generation time of geographical locations were divided according to testate protozoa provide some ecological advantages Brazilian regions (North, Northeast, Central West, to these organisms, making them interesting for Southeast and South). scientific researches, both in spatial and time scales Publication years were pooled into five year- (FOISSNER, 1999). They respond rapidly to intervals, starting from 1962 (first year of record) changes in environmental conditions, which give the and finishing in September 2011. In this way, ten ability to identify the quality of the water and/or time intervals were obtained: 1962-1966, 1967-1971, environment, allowing their use as bioindicators 1972-1976, 1977-1981, 1982-1986, 1987-1991, 1992- (SCHONBORN, 1992). Morphometric 1996, 1997- 2001, 2002-2006, 2007-2011. and/structural variations in the shell of these organisms can be result of variations in Results environmental parameters, becoming thus an In the total, 907 articles were selected, 422 found interesting tool for paleontological studies (NIGAN, in Thomson Reuters and 485 in Scopus. Papers that 1986). did not meet the goal of the present study were not The testate amoebae have been investigated at considered, ie, work in testate amoebae that were the global level and in different habitats. These not being used as a tool in response studies, and surveys have been developed since the eighteenth papers and those occurring in both databases were century (ARCHER, 1869; BARKER, 1968; considered only once, thus for the scientometric BARNARD, 1879; BLOCHMANN, 1894; analysis 562 scientific papers were used. The EHRENBERG, 1841). The first works were number of articles for the last time period (2007- developed basically from taxonomic approaches and 2011) may have been underestimated, since the some species occurrence, and subsequently analysis of the year of 2011 has finished in considering ecological aspects more complex. The September (Figure 1). research development contributes to increased knowledge about these organisms, highlighting its ecological importance (LANSAC-TÔHA et al., 2007). Regarding the great potential of using this group in scientific studies, we aimed at presenting a scientometric analysis on papers focusing testate amoebae, in order to describe the advances of different approaches in researches on these organisms and identify a time trend in this evolution. Material and methods The review of the literature on testate amoebae was primarily based on articles indexed by Thomson Figure 1. Articles indexed by Thomson and Scopus databases Reuters (www.isiwebofknowledge.com) and then by which address researches on testate amoebae during the survey period. SciVerse Scopus (www.scopus.com), with the goal to achieve a greater number of papers. The survey The first three time intervals presented lower was performed in September 2011, using the amounts of published articles (n = 1 each). From keyword testate amoebae. 1982, the studies have progressed, with growing Papers selected were classified according to year number of publications over the years. In this way, of publication, location (Europe, North America, the period with the greatest scientific production Asia, South America, Africa, Oceania and Poles), consisted of the years between 2007 and 2011 approach: ecological, zoological (including (n = 204). taxonomic and biological studies), paleontological As for geographical location, Europe was the and molecular, and design: descriptive (comparative continent with the highest number of published studies), predictive (studies based on prediction articles, with a total of 317 articles, followed by North model, with or without ecological theories), America (n = 111) and Asia (n = 74), South America