Scopus 1900–2020: Growth in articles, abstracts, countries, fields, and journals

Scientometric research often relies on large-scale bibliometric databases of academic journal articles. Long term and longitudinal research can be affected if the composition of a database varies over time, and text processing research can be affected if the percentage of articles with abstracts changes. This article therefore assesses changes in the magnitude of the coverage of a major citation index, Scopus, over 121 years from 1900. The results show sustained exponential growth from 1900, except for dips during both world wars, and with increased growth after 2004. Over the same period, the percentage of articles with 500+ character abstracts increased from 1% to 95%. The number of different journals in Scopus also increased exponentially, but slowing down from 2010, with the number of articles per journal being approximately constant until 1980, then tripling due to megajournals and online-only publishing. The breadth of Scopus, in terms of the number of narrow fields with substantial numbers of articles, simultaneously increased from one field having 1000 articles in 1945 to 308 in 2020. Scopus’s international character also radically changed from 68% of first authors from Germany and the USA in 1900 to just 17% in 2020, with China dominating (25%). Peer Review https://publons.com/publon/10.1162/qss_a_00177

An investigation of publication status alternation of papers online first in China: Based on CNKI data from 2017 to 2019

[Purposes] This study aims to investigate the publication status alternation of papers online first and reveal how the Regulations for Alteration of Publication Status and Content Correction of Online Publications on CNKI (Regulations for short) is implemented. [Methods] Firstly, we retrieved the withdrawal declarations of papers online first marked with "withdrawal" on CNKI from 2017 to 2019. Secondly, we downloaded them and saved the documents after coding. Then, the file directories were imported into Endnote X9 (a kind of reference management software) for statistical analysis and the texts of declarations were input into NVivo 12 Plus (a type of qualitative data analysis software) for cause classification. Finally, we analyzed the subject distribution, source journals, and causes of the "withdrawal". [Findings] From 2017 to 2019, the publication statuses of 389 articles online first have been altered, with 310 withdrawn, 74 retracted, and 5 corrected. Among them, only 278 (71.47%) state specific causes in the withdrawal statements and the causes are academic misconduct (32), authorship (25), publishing errors (82), quality problems (118), and others (21). [Conclusions] The online-first articles have a high proportion (389/182654, 0.21%) of publication status alternation and a small percentage of them (6/389, 1.54%) have strictly complied with the requirements of the Regulations, as manifested by the missing or vague causes for the publication status alternation in the withdrawal statements and even the deliberately covered-up academic misconducts. Academic journal publishers and digital publishing platforms should enhance the process management and content review of papers published online first and further improve the transparency of the causes of publication status alternation, visibility of withdrawal declarations, and traceability of the "withdrawal" process.

Impact Assessment for Sustainable Project Management And Pension Funds Projects Performance In Kenya

Sustainability is an evolving area of research and is grabbing the attention of corporations, research communities, and regulatory bodies worldwide which had enhanced its implementation. The prevailing trend towards economic growth in developing countries has resulted in a huge demand for delivering construction projects which in turn has overshadowed sustainability concerns. Consequently, project managers in developing countries are lagging in embracing the concept of sustainability in managing projects. Specific focus has been given to construction projects in the pension industry in Kenya. To address this challenge, the paper explored sustainable project management based on a comprehensive literature review through a desk review of numerous academic journal articles to evaluate pension funds projects performance. Three theories were used to provide a foundation for the sustainable project management practices: stakeholder theory, the Triple Bottom Line (3BL) concept which captures the essence of sustainability and theory of risk management. The study established that current project management practices of Kenyan Pension Funds do not always ensure project success that secure desired market returns on these investments. As the pension schemes are also expected to continue to invest in alternative assets given the broadening of the allowable investment categories and to take advantage of the public infrastructural projects under the big four agenda (RBA, 2021), it becomes paramount to identify and implement sustainable project management practices for performance of the pension funds projects. The outcome of this research showed that sustainability goals and environmental and social impact assessment contribute towards pension funds projects performance. The moderating effect of the regulatory framework was determined to be supportive towards sustainable pension funds projects performance.

Evaluation of Integrated Neuromuscular Training on the Recovery of Joint Injury: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

Review question / Objective: This study will provide new evidence for the effect of integrated neuromuscular training on the recovery of joint injury. Information sources: According to the PICOS principle, the third and fourth authors of this paper searched PsycINFO, Science direct, PubMed, Eric, Willey, China Knowledge Network (CNKI) Academic Journal Online Publishing General Library and China Knowledge Network (CNKI) excellent doctoral thesis full-text database by computer to collect relevant research on the impact of INT on joint injury repair. The time limit of injury retrieval is from the establishment of the database to December 2021.

Impact of COVID-19 on Housing Market: A Review of Emerging Literature

The housing market over the years has been impacted by various factors in different ways. This review paper examines the growing literature on the impact of COVID-19 on the housing market to ascertain its positive and negative effects. Thus, a total of 40 published conference papers, thesis, academic journal articles, and others obtained from secondary sources were reviewed and revealed that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in some scenarios had positive and negative impacts on the housing market. The paper found that the positive impacts include a rise in housing prices, increase in housing supply and reduction in mass evictions in some locations, while the negative impacts are on housing prices, demand and supply, constraints in mortgage return maintenance and delay in the construction of new housing apartments. The paper, therefore, concludes that both positive and negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are felt on the housing market globally. These thereby form a basis for further studies on the growing impacts of the pandemic concerning the housing market.

Interview with Avner Gvaryahu and Avihai Stollar, directors of Breaking the Silence

Following a roundtable discussion at the University of Coimbra on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel regarding the perspectives and activity of the organisation Breaking the Silence, the journal Estudos do Século XX [20th Century Studies], published periodically by the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Coimbra, deemed this interview worthy of inclusion. This first conversation aims therefore to allow the two ex-soldiers and directors of Breaking the Silence to respond to questions posed by four researches from Group 1 – History, Memory, and Public Policy, of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of the University of Coimbra. Unlike sections such as the “Thematic File”, ‘Interdisciplinary Dialogue” and “Critical Reviews”, which are aimed at publishing humanistic, artistic, scientific or technological texts, the “Interviews” section proposes to share civic-minded or memorialistic responses to questions regarding current but relevant issues in broader intellectual and social terms. Such is the intention, whether by bringing more civilian narratives into an academic journal, or simply noting correlations between humanistic, artistic, scientific or technological knowledge and civic intervention. This interview was documented, on the one hand, due to the ethical and geostrategic importance of the ongoing situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel; and, on the other hand, to highlight the main features and discursive strategy of Breaking the Silence. It is important to remember that this organisation is made up solely of Israeli citizens who have carried out mandatory military service in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and that their discursive strategy prioritises characterising and contextualising/comparing specific situations in order to explain value judgements and suggestions for how to bring about drastic change. We value the existence of such an organisation within Israeli society that, in view of the grave problems in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, explicitly assumes the status of an association of ex-perpetrators. From this standpoint, Breaking the Silence defends: a) that Israeli soldiers describing in their own words what is really happening is one way of contributing to ending the ongoing systematic violation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; b) that victims and ex-perpetrators are entitled to support, should they so wish, in their efforts to overcome the effects of the mass violence that has occurred. Avner Gvaryahu and Avihai Stollar’s answers are especially poignant. Whether consciously or not, their respective intellectual rigour and ethical self-expectations seem to correlate somehow with the likes of Benedict de Spinosa and Hannah Arendt. The options set forth are also important owing to both the complexity and lengthy duration of the Israeli-Arab and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, and from the contradictions experienced in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and in neighbouring countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Syria. Also considered were the verifiable connections with the overall mindset of the Cold War and the Post-Cold-War period, as well as phenomena such as the Jewish diaspora, anti-Judaism, anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. As researchers, we try above all to recreate and analyse, to contextualise and compare how communities handle and manage situations in which human rights are violated systematically, even when those responsible for such processes of mass violence are countries under liberal-democratic or democratic regimes. As citizens, we also recognise how important it is to highlight the individual (or small group) behaviour of those notable for their profound intellectual rigour and heightened self-expectations. As has sometimes happened in the past, we hope that, both now and in the future, the example set by the fairer minority will be followed by the majority; a majority composed of perpetrators and those who are indifferent to such events.

Ambiguity in public sector performance measurement: a systematic literature review

PurposeThis paper presents a systematic literature review aiming at analysing how research has addressed performance measurement systems’ (PMSs) ambiguities in the public sector. This paper embraces the ambiguity perspective that PMSs in public sector coexist with and cope with existing ambiguities.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a literature review in Scopus and ScienceDirect, considering articles published since 1985, and the authors selected articles published in the journals included in the Association of Business Schools' Academic Journal Guide (Chartered ABS, 2018). Of the 1,278 abstracts that matched the study’s search criteria, the authors selected 131 articles for full reading and 37 articles for the final discussion.FindingsThe study's key findings concern the elements of ambiguity in PMSs discussed in the literature. The study’s results suggest that ambiguity is still a relevant problem in performance measurement, as a problem that is impossible to be solved and therefore needs to be better understood by researchers and public managers. The analysis allows us to summarize the antecedents and consequences of ambiguity in the public sector.Research limitations/implicationsThe key findings of the study concern the main sources of ambiguity in PMSs discussed in the literature, their antecedents and their consequences. The study results suggest that ambiguity exists in performance measurement and that is an issue to be handled with various strategies that can be implemented by managers and employees.Practical implicationsManagers and researchers may benefit from this research as it may represent a guideline to understand ambiguities in their organizations or in field research. Researchers may also benefit from a summary list of the key issues that have been analysed in the empirical cases provided by this research. Social implicationsThis research may provide insights to limit ambiguity and thus contribute to improve performance measurement in the public sector.Originality/valueThis research presents a comprehensive review on the topic. It provides insight that suggests what future research should attend to in helping to interpret ambiguity, considering also what should be done to influence ambiguity.

Essential Academic Journals Tend to Be of Universal Importance, While Many Journals Available on For-Profit Platforms Appear to Be Ancillary

A Review of: Mongeon, P., Siler, K., Archambault, A., Sugimoto, C. R., & Larivière, V. (2021). Collection development in the era of big deals. College & Research Libraries, 82(2), 219–236. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.82.2.219 Abstract Objective – (1) Present a method of journal appraisal that combines reference list, article download, and survey data. (2) Gauge journal usage patterns across selected universities. Design – Analysis of reference lists, article downloads, and survey data. Setting – 28 Canadian universities. Subjects – 47,012 distinct academic journal titles. Methods – Download data for the 2011-2015 period was sourced from standard Journal Report 1 (JR1) usage reports as supplied by the vendors. Download figures were summed for journals that were available through multiple platforms. Reference list data (i.e., the number of times documents published in each journal were cited by authors affiliated with a participating institution) was sourced from Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science, limiting for the years 2011-2015. An unknown number of researchers at 23 of the 28 participating universities were invited by email to complete a survey. The survey asked respondents to list the scholarly journals they considered essential for their research and teaching (up to 10 journals for each purpose). The three datasets (download, reference list, and survey data) were then merged. Duplicates and non-academic journals were removed. Journals were then grouped into broad discipline areas. A list of “core journals” (p. 228) was created for each institution. These journals produce 80% of downloads, 80% of citations, or 80% of survey mentions at each institution. A journal only had to reach the threshold in one category (i.e., in either downloads, citations, or mentions) to make it onto the core journals list. A “low” (p. 228) survey response rate meant “one mention [was] generally enough" (p. 228) for a journal to be classified as core. Main results – Fewer than 500 titles (n=484, ~1%) made it to the core journals list at all 28 universities. Two thirds (66%, n unknown) of journals did not make it onto the core list of any university. Of the journals deemed to be core, most (60%, n unknown) were shared across all institutions. On average, platforms from not-for-profit organizations and scientific societies contain a higher proportion of core journals than for-profit platforms. Notably, 63.6% of Springer journals, 58.9% of Taylor & Francis journals, and 45.8% of Elsevier’s journals do not appear on the core journal list of any university. Conclusion – Libraries should consider ways to share resources and work more cooperatively in their negotiations with publishers. Further, libraries may be able to cancel entire journal bundles without this having a “sizable” (p. 233) impact on resource access.

Providers’ experience of abortion care: A scoping review protocol. (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED Background: Despite being one of the most common gynaecological procedures in the world, abortion care remains highly stigmatized. Internationally, providers have noted negative impacts related to their involvement in the services and abortion care has been described as “dirty work”. Though much of the existing research focuses on the challenges of providing, many have also highlighted the positive aspects of working in abortion care. Despite the steadily increasing interest in this area over the past decade, however, no one has sought to systematically review the literature to date. The aim of this review is to systematically explore published studies on the experiences of abortion care providers and to create a narrative review on the lived experience of providing abortion care. Methods: The review will be conducted according to the framework outlined by Levac et al., which expanded on the popular Arksey and O’Malley framework. We will systematically search for peer-reviewed articles in literature in six electronic databases: CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PsycInfo, PubMed, and Web of Science. Following a pilot exercise, we have devised a search strategy to identify relevant studies. In this protocol, we outline how citations will be assessed for eligibility and what information will be extracted from the included articles. We also highlight how this information will be combined in the review. Discussion: The findings of this review will provide a comprehensive overview on the known experiences of providing abortion care. We also pre-empt that the findings will identify aspects of care and/or experiences that are not reflected in the available literature. We will disseminate the results via a publication in a peer-reviewed, academic journal and by presenting the findings at conferences in the areas of abortion care, obstetrics, and midwifery. As this review is a secondary analysis of published articles, ethical approval was not required.