Detecting the historical roots of research fields by reference publication year spectroscopy (RPYS) (1307.8239v1)

Abstract: We introduce the quantitative method named "reference publication year spectroscopy" (RPYS). With this method one can determine the historical roots of research fields and quantify their impact on current research. RPYS is based on the analysis of the frequency with which references are cited in the publications of a specific research field in terms of the publication years of these cited references. The origins show up in the form of more or less pronounced peaks mostly caused by individual publications which are cited particularly frequently. In this study, we use research on graphene and on solar cells to illustrate how RPYS functions, and what results it can deliver.

• The paper introduces RPYS as an innovative method that quantitatively maps the historical roots of research fields.
• It analyzes citation year frequencies to pinpoint seminal publications, including foundational works for graphene and solar cells.
• The study offers a framework for tracing the evolution of research areas and enhancing bibliometric analyses.

Reference Publication Year Spectroscopy: A Method for Historical Analysis in Research Fields

The paper entitled "Detecting the historical roots of research fields by reference publication year spectroscopy (RPYS)" introduces the RPYS as a novel quantitative method for identifying the historical roots of research fields. This methodology capitalizes on analyzing the publication years of references cited within the literature of specific research areas, identifying origins as prominent peaks which are primarily the result of frequently cited older publications.

RPYS, as a specialized application of cited reference analysis, offers a robust framework to illuminate the chronological dependencies in scientific inquiry. The methodology is grounded in the analysis of 'Reference Publication Years' (RPYs) and their frequency to detect pivotal historical contributions to a field. Through a reverse bibliometric perspective, RPYS focuses on the cited works instead of the citing works to map the impactful literature chronologically.

In this paper, two burgeoning research fields—graphene and solar cells—serve as illustrative cases for applying RPYS. By extracting the RPY frequency distribution and identifying distinct peaks, the method successfully highlights significant historical publications which likely constitute the intellectual foundation of these research fields.

Key Findings and Numerical Results

For graphene, the RPYS analysis revealed critical historical papers mostly rooted in graphite oxide studies, including pivotal works by Brodie in the late 19th century and later foundational theoretical work by Wallace in 1947. Such works laid the groundwork for today's burgeoning interest in graphene, characterized by extraordinary material properties first realized in the early 21st century. In the case of solar cells, the origins critically trace back to the introduction of photovoltaic effects by Becquerel in 1839 and essential theoretical advancements from the mid-20th century, including the Shockley-Queisser efficiency limit.

Numerically, the distinct peaks in RPY distributions offer empirical evidence of the foundational literature. For instance, Wallace's paper from 1947 demonstrated significant citation uptake post-graphene discovery, reflecting its theoretical prescience concerning electronic properties of carbon sheets. Additionally, the analysis identified specific peaks such as the Shockley and Queisser paper from 1961, considered a "sleeping beauty," which gained substantial recognition decades later.

Implications and Future Directions

The RPYS method has several ramifications for bibliometric analytics and the historiography of science. By distinguishing significant historical publications that are foundational to ongoing research trajectories, RPYS contributes to theoretical discourse on scientific progress. It presents a non-linear model of knowledge growth that complements both Popperian notions of cumulative knowledge and Kuhnian paradigms of revolutionary shifts in understanding.

Practically, RPYS can inform retrospectives in scientific domains by succinctly quantifying historical academic influence, thereby aiding stakeholders in recognizing seminal works that have sculpted past and present research landscapes. It provides a framework by which interdisciplinary impact and the temporal unfolding of research focuses can be quantitatively assessed.

Future developments fueled by advancements in data-mining technologies and citation indexing might further refine RPYS, enhancing the precision with which historical scientific connectivity is understood. RPYS could be integrated with machine-learning paradigms to forecast emergent research frontiers and identify under-recognized but potentially critical historical papers in scientific literature.

The paper effectively positions RPYS as a significant instrument in the toolbox of scientometrics, paving an analytical path for understanding the evolution and intellectual lineage within scientific disciplines without necessitating exhaustive background assumptions. The detection of research areas’ historical roots via RPYS not only augments our comprehension of scientific development trajectories but also anchors contemporary research in its rich and varied historical context.