نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 دانشیار گروه مدیریت اطلاعات، موسسه استنادی و پایش علم و فناوری جهان ا سلام (ISC)، شیراز، ایران
2 استادیار گروه مدیریت اطلاعات، موسسه استنادی و پایش علم و فناوری جهان اسلام (ISC)، شیراز، ایران
چکیده
کلیدواژه‌ها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Purpose: Editorial Board Members (EBMs ) play a vital and central role in functioning peer-reviewed journals. A noteworthy phenomenon that underscores the effectiveness and significance of these EBMs is referred to as "Editorial Board Interlocking" (EBI). This phenomenon occurs when experts and researchers participate in multiple peer-reviewed journals within their field of study. The limited number of prominent, well-known, and capable researchers and scientists in various fields presents a significant issue in selecting editors and editorial board members for reputable journals. Given the importance of these journals and the unique roles played by editorial board members, the phenomenon of editorial board member interchangeability has emerged, as many members serve on multiple journals. This situation raises concerns about the influence and effectiveness of editorial boards in the scientific community. This paper primarily aims to analyze the statistical relationship between demographic and scientometric indicators and the EBI within astronomy and astrophysics journals.
Methodology: The present study was conducted using scientometric methods and indicators and a descriptive-analytical approach. This study focuses on the EBMs associated with all journals dedicated to astronomy and astrophysics . Data was collected through the Journal Citation Report and the official websites of the peer-reviewed journals. Statistical methods were employed for data analysis, including descriptive and inferential statistics. These methods encompass frequency distribution, percentage calculations, and correlation coefficient tests, specifically the Pearson, Spearman, and Mann-Whitney tests. Within Iran's Science and Technology Roadmap, astronomy and astrophysics are known as high-priority subjects, frequently discussed in major research and technology policies.
Findings: There is no significant difference regarding gender and academic rank in relation to the EBI of journals in astronomy and astrophysics. Despite the editorial team consisting of five times more men than women, the gender of the editorial board members does not affect the level of EBI. Moreover, the analysis indicates an absence of a significant relationship between the Journal Impact Factor and the quartile ranking (Q) of these journals concerning their EBI. The findings further suggest that there is no significant correlation between the citations of astronomy and astrophysics journals and their EBI. Conversely, a relatively strong correlation and direct association exist between the number of scientific publications in various countries and the number of EBMs affiliated with journals based in those countries. The results presented in this article demonstrate that 38.95% of editorial board members affiliated with journals possessing an EBI and 30.47% of the EBI journals are based in the United States, indicating American nationality. Furthermore, 11.58% of the editorial board members originate from Russia, while a combined total of 32.6% hail from the United Kingdom and Italy. In terms of geographical distribution, the Netherlands, Russia, and the United Kingdom rank second to fourth, with respective shares of 17.41%, 13.05%, and 6.52%, in the publication of journals with EBI in the field of astronomy and astrophysics. The cumulative proportion of editorial board members associated with EBI from the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom is 56.85%. Moreover, these three countries represent 50.49% of the journals affiliated with EBI. This data suggests that more than half of both the editorial board members and the journals with EBI are situated in the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom, thereby reflecting American, Russian, and English nationalities. Additionally, it is noteworthy that approximately half of the publishers of journals and the editorial board members with EBI within the domain of astronomy and astrophysics share this common nationality across the three aforementioned countries.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that individual factors such as gender, scientific rank, impact factor, and citations do not affect the EBI of astronomy and astrophysics journals. This phenomenon is more influenced by network structure and social ties than individual characteristics. Also, countries with more scientific production, such as the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom, play a prominent role in EBI because they have more advanced scientific resources and research infrastructures than developing countries. In general, it can be added that EBI is more related to international interactions and scientific collaborations. The need to conduct a similar study on Persian astronomy and astrophysics journals at the ISC Institute, examining other scientometric indicators and variables related to journals and studying the EBI of journals in other physics disciplines, is considered a limitation of this study.
کلیدواژه‌ها [English]
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