The USA Dominates World Research in Basic Medicine and Biotechnology

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Research is the foundation of technological progress; the aim of this study is to investigate research success in the USA, the EU and other countries in basic medical, biochemical and biotechnological topics. Methods: Research assessments were performed using the number of publications, the ep index and the probability that a publication reaches the top 0.01% by citation. The ep index reveals an important characteristic of citation distribution. The distribution of the publications from a country in global percentiles follows a power law and the ep index is a mathematical derivative of the exponent of this power law. In addition to its intrinsic value as performance indicator, this index allows calculating a country’s probability of publishing highly cited papers and, consequently, of achieving important discoveries or scientific breakthroughs. Findings: Our results show that the USA is scientifically ahead of all countries and that its research is likely to produce approximately 80% of the important global breakthroughs in the research topics investigated in this study. EU research has maintained a constant weak position with reference to USA research over the last 30 years. Countries different from the USA and the EU are increasing enormously their number of publications. Currently, the probability that these publications report an important breakthrough is slightly lower than that of the EU.

KEYWORDS

• Research evaluation
• Percentile distribution
• ep index

Showing references and in-text citations exactly as published.

• DOI10.5530/jscires.9.2.19Copy

RELATED ARTICLES

Matched on section and article type within this issue of JSR.

• Article · VOLUME 9, ISSUE 2Science-Technology Linkage in the Field of Medical and Laboratory EquipmentMaryam Emami, Nosrat Riahinia, Faramarz Soheili · pp. 88–95Research ArticleSame type: Article
• Article · VOLUME 9, ISSUE 2The Status and Patterns of Open Access in Research Output of Most Productive Indian InstitutionsSatya Swarup Srichandan, Rajesh Piryani, Vivek Kumar Singh, Sujit Bhattacharya · pp. 96–110Research ArticleSame type: Article
• Article · VOLUME 9, ISSUE 23D Printing: A Research Domain of Multiple Facets?Andreia Cristina Galina, Jacqueline Leta · pp. 111–119Research ArticleSame type: Article
• Article · VOLUME 9, ISSUE 2Author and Keyword Bursts as Indicators for the Identification of Emerging or Dying Research TrendsPatrick Kenekayoro · pp. 120–126Research ArticleSame type: Article