A bibliometric study in crystallography

Area of Science:

• Bibliometrics
• Crystallography
• Materials Science

Background:

• Bibliometrics applies quantitative analysis to scientific literature.
• Crystallography systematically studies the arrangement of atoms in solids.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply bibliometric methods to analyze the literature of inorganic crystal structures.
• To identify trends in publication, authorship, and growth within this field.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database (1913-present).
• Employed a relational database for comprehensive data analysis.
• Applied mathematical and statistical models including polynomial functions, Bradford's Law, Lotka's Law, Mandelbrot's Law, and lognormal distribution.

Main Results:

• Cumulative growth of crystal structures follows a third-degree polynomial.
• Publication patterns align with Leimkuhler function and are concentrated in a few journals.
• Author productivity follows inverse power laws (Lotka and Mandelbrot forms) with an exponent of approximately 1.7.
• Multiple authorship increased from 1.4 to 4 authors per publication over 80 years.
• Author distribution is lognormally distributed.

Conclusions:

• Bibliometric analysis provides valuable insights into the historical development and publication dynamics of inorganic crystallography.
• The study highlights predictable patterns in scientific output and collaboration within the field.