Ultra-Precocious Scientists: The Rise of Early Citation Stars
Researchers found that early-career, highly-cited scientists tend to be from less developed countries, and often engage in high self-citation rates. While many achieve recognition due to genuine work, some use manipulative practices like data manipulation. China, India, and other nations feature prominently in these findings, with scientific fraud growing.
- Country:
- India
A recent study has disclosed intriguing patterns among scientists who earn top citation ranks early in their careers. These 'ultra-precocious' researchers often hail from less developed nations like China and India, operating in fields such as artificial intelligence and environmental sciences.
The investigation, published in PLOS One, points out that early citation success might be linked to self-citation, with some scientists resorting to manipulative practices to enhance their impact. Notably, John P. A. Ioannidis of Stanford University identifies 'precocious' scientists as those achieving significant citations within eight years and 'ultra-precocious' within five.
Analyzing data on the foremost 100,000 cited scientists, Ioannidis highlights a growth in early-career citation impacts. Particularly, scientists from less developed regions dominate the ultra-precocious category, where artificial intelligence and environmental science were frequent specialties. This trend raises concerns amid rising systematic fraud in scientific publications, according to separate findings from Northwestern University.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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