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Global mapping of scientific information exchange using altmetric data

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Abstract

This study seeks to provide new insights into a hidden pattern in the cross-national scholarly network structure from an altmetric perspective. We investigate and visualize the dynamic and complex nature of altmetric-based referrals using a social network algorithm that measures societal use (via Twitter) and scientific impact (via Mendeley). We also use a variety of network indices and a QAP (quadratic assignment procedure) to validate the structural relationships between inter-country sharing networks. Finally, we identify several groups including Asia, Europe, and North America through a transcontinental sharing analysis. The findings suggest that policymakers need to track the international routes of word-of-mouth, which constitute socially mediated data-sharing, regarding scientific publications.

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Acknowledgements

Dr. Youn expresses that this research was supported by the MSIT. We would like to express our gratitude to Altmetric.com for providing the dataset. We also appreciate thoughtful and precious feedbacks and suggestions from the anonymous reviewers on this paper. This research was supported by the MSIT (Ministry of Science, ICT), Korea, under the ITRC (Information Technology Research Center) support program (IITP-2018-2016-0-00313) supervised by the IITP (Institute for Information and communications Technology Promotion), he National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (No.2018R1D1A1B0705647) and the Yeungnam University Research Grant.

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Correspondence to Han Woo Park.

Additional information

Jonghee M. Youn is regarded as co-first author.

Appendix: A list of countries and their codes and belonging continents

Appendix: A list of countries and their codes and belonging continents

No.

Code

Country

Continent

No.

Code

Country

Continent

1

AD

Andorra

Europe

122

KZ

Kazakstan

Asia

2

AE

United Arab Emirates

Asia

123

LA

Lao

Asia

3

AF

Afghanistan

Asia

124

LB

Lebanon

Asia

4

AG

Antigua and Barbuda

North America

125

LC

Saint Lucia

North America

5

AI

Anguilla

North America

126

LI

Liechtenstein

Europe

6

AL

Albania

Europe

127

LK

Sri Lanka

Asia

7

AM

Armenia

Asia

128

LR

Liberia

Africa

8

AO

Angola

Africa

129

LS

Lesotho

Africa

9

AQ

Antarctica

Etc.

130

LT

Lithuania

Europe

10

AR

Argentina

South America

131

LU

Luxembourg

Europe

11

AS

American Samoa

Oceania

132

LV

Latvia

Europe

12

AT

Austria

Europe

133

LY

Libya

Africa

13

AU

Australia

Oceania

134

MA

Morocco

Africa

14

AW

Aruba

North America

135

MC

Monaco

Europe

15

AX

Åland Islands

Europe

136

MD

Moldova

Europe

16

AZ

Azerbaijan

Asia

137

ME

Montenegro

Europe

17

BA

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Europe

138

MF

Saint Martin

North America

18

BB

Barbados

North America

139

MG

Madagascar

Africa

19

BD

Bangladesh

Asia

140

MH

Marshall Islands

Oceania

20

BE

Belgium

Europe

141

MK

Macedonia

Europe

21

BF

Burkina Faso

Africa

142

ML

Mali

Africa

22

BG

Bulgaria

Europe

143

MM

Myanmar

Asia

23

BH

Bahrain

Asia

144

MN

Mongolia

Asia

24

BI

Burundi

Africa

145

MO

Macau

Asia

25

BJ

Benin

Africa

146

MP

Northern Mariana Islands

Oceania

26

BL

Saint Barthélemy

North America

147

MQ

Martinique

North America

27

BM

Bermuda

North America

148

MR

Mauritania

Africa

28

BN

Brunei

Asia

149

MS

Montserrat

Europe

29

BO

Bolivia

South America

150

MT

Malta

Europe

30

BQ

Bonaire

Etc.

151

MU

Mauritius

Africa

31

BR

Brazil

South America

152

MV

Maldives

Asia

32

BS

Bahamas

North America

153

MW

Malawi

Africa

33

BT

Bhutan

Asia

154

MX

Mexico

North America

34

BW

Botswana

Africa

155

MY

Malaysia

Asia

35

BY

Belarus

Europe

156

MZ

Mozambique

Africa

36

BZ

Belize

North America

157

NA

Namibia

Africa

37

CA

Canada

North America

158

NC

New Caledonia

Oceania

38

CD

Congo

Africa

159

NE

Niger

Africa

39

CF

Central African Republic

Africa

160

NG

Nigeria

Africa

40

CG

Congo

Africa

161

NI

Nicaragua

North America

41

CH

Switzerland

Europe

162

NL

Netherlands

Europe

42

CI

Cote D’Ivoire

Africa

163

NO

Norway

Europe

43

CK

Cook Islands

Oceania

164

NP

Nepal

Asia

44

CL

Chile

South America

165

NR

Nauru

Oceania

45

CM

Cameroon

Africa

166

NU

Niue

Oceania

46

CN

China

Asia

167

NZ

New Zealand

Oceania

47

CO

Colombia

South America

168

OM

Oman

Asia

48

CR

Costa Rica

North America

169

PA

Panama

North America

49

CU

Cuba

North America

170

PE

Peru

South America

50

CV

Cape Verde

Africa

171

PF

French Polynesia

Oceania

51

CW

Curacao

Europe

172

PG

Papua New Guinea

Oceania

52

CX

Christmas Island

Oceania

173

PH

Philippines

Asia

53

CY

Cyprus

Europe

174

PK

Pakistan

Asia

54

CZ

Czech Republic

Europe

175

PL

Poland

Europe

55

DE

Germany

Europe

176

PN

Pitcairn Island

Oceania

56

DJ

Djibouti

Africa

177

PR

Puerto Rico

North America

57

DK

Denmark

Europe

178

PS

Palestinian State

Asia

58

DM

Dominica

North America

179

PT

Portugal

Europe

59

DO

Dominican Republic

North America

180

PW

Palau

Oceania

60

DZ

Algeria

Africa

181

PY

Paraguay

South America

61

EC

Ecuador

South America

182

QA

Qatar

Asia

62

EE

Estonia

Europe

183

RE

Reunion

Africa

63

EG

Egypt

Africa

184

RO

Romania

Europe

64

EH

Western Sahara

Africa

185

RS

Serbia

Europe

65

ER

Eritrea

Africa

186

RU

Russian Federation

Europe

66

ES

Spain

Europe

187

RW

Rwanda

Africa

67

ET

Ethiopia

Africa

188

SA

Saudi Arabia

Asia

68

FI

Finland

Europe

189

SB

Solomon Islands

Oceania

69

FJ

Fiji

Oceania

190

SC

Seychelles

Africa

70

FK

Falkland Islands

South America

191

SD

Sudan

Africa

71

FM

Micronesia

Oceania

192

SE

Sweden

Europe

72

FO

Faroe Islands

Europe

193

SG

Singapore

Asia

73

FR

France

Europe

194

SH

Saint Helena

Africa

74

GA

Gabon

Africa

195

SI

Slovenia

Europe

75

GB

Great Britain

Europe

196

SJ

Svalbard (Spitzbergen) and Jan Mayen Islands

Europe

76

GD

Grenada

South America

197

SK

Slovakia

Europe

77

GE

Georgia

Asia

198

SL

Sierra Leone

Africa

78

GF

French Guiana

South America

199

SM

San Marino

Europe

79

GG

Bailiwick of Guernsey

Europe

200

SN

Senegal

Africa

80

GH

Ghana

Africa

201

SO

Somalia

Africa

81

GI

Gibraltar

Europe

202

SR

Suriname

South America

82

GL

Greenland

North America

203

SS

South Sudan

Africa

83

GM

Gambia

Africa

204

ST

Sao Tome and Principe

Africa

84

GN

Guinea

Africa

205

SV

El Salvador

North America

85

GP

Guadeloupe

North America

206

SX

Sint Maarten

North America

86

GQ

Equatorial Guinea

Africa

207

SY

Syria

Asia

87

GR

Greece

Europe

208

SZ

Swaziland

Africa

88

GS

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

South America

209

TC

Turks and Caicos Islands

North America

89

GT

Guatemala

North America

210

TD

Chad

Africa

90

GU

Guam

Oceania

211

TF

French Southern Territories and Antarctic Lands

Africa

91

GW

Guinea-Bissau

Africa

212

TG

Togo

Africa

92

GY

Guyana

South America

213

TH

Thailand

Asia

93

HK

Hong Kong

Asia

214

TJ

Tajikistan

Asia

94

HN

Honduras

North America

215

TK

Tokelau

Oceania

95

HR

Croatia

Europe

216

TL

Timor-Leste

Oceania

96

HT

Haiti

North America

217

TM

Turkmenistan

Asia

97

HU

Hungary

Europe

218

TN

Tunisia

Africa

98

ID

Indonesia

Asia

219

TO

Tonga

Oceania

99

IE

Ireland

Europe

220

TR

Turkey

Asia

100

IL

Israel

Asia

221

TT

Trinidad and Tobago

North America

101

IM

Isle of Man

Europe

222

TV

Tuvalu

Oceania

102

IN

India

Asia

223

TW

Taiwan

Asia

103

IO

British Indian Ocean Territory

Etc.

224

TZ

Tanzania

Africa

104

IQ

Iraq

Asia

225

UA

Ukraine

Europe

105

IR

Iran

Asia

226

UG

Uganda

Africa

106

IS

Iceland

Europe

227

UY

Uruguay

South America

107

IT

Italy

Europe

228

UZ

Uzbekistan

Asia

108

JE

Bailiwick of Jersey

Europe

229

VA

Holy See

Europe

109

JM

Jamaica

North America

230

VE

Venezuela

South America

110

JO

Jordan

Asia

231

VG

British Virgin Islands

North America

111

JP

Japan

Asia

232

VI

Virgin Islands

North America

112

KE

Kenya

Africa

233

VN

Vietnam

Asia

113

KG

Kyrgyzstan

Asia

234

VU

Vanuatu

Oceania

114

KH

Cambodia

Asia

235

WS

Samoa

Oceania

115

KI

Kiribati

Oceania

236

YE

Yemen

Asia

116

KM

Comoros

Africa

237

YT

Mayotte

Africa

117

KN

Saint Kitts and Nevis

North America

238

ZA

South Africa

Africa

118

KP

North Korea

Asia

239

ZM

Zambia

Africa

119

KR

South Korea

Asia

240

ZW

Zimbabwe

Africa

120

KW

Kuwait

Asia

241

ZZ

Etc.

Etc.

121

KY

Cayman Islands

North America

242

US

United States

North America

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Park, H.C., Youn, J.M. & Park, H.W. Global mapping of scientific information exchange using altmetric data. Qual Quant 53, 935–955 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-018-0797-3

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