On the Development of Arctic Research through Scientometrics

Abstract

There are still few Russian studies on quantitative measurements of Arctic science that could help create a holistic picture of developing research, compare the contributions of individual countries, and assess Russia’s scientific potential. The performed scientometric analysis partly fills this gap, relying on multiple sources: bibliographic databases Web of Science Core Collection and DIMENSIONS; grant databases of Russia, the USA and Germany. The analysis revealed: 1) the fast growth of Arctic publications in the period 1980–2020 with an average annual rate of 5 % after 2008, which is similar to some high-tech fields; 2) increasing globalisation of research performed by scientists from more than 100 countries; 3) changes in Arctic research interests, including long-term trends (socialisation of research, decreasing share of works on geology and physical geography) and fast new trends (increasing share of publications on economics and technologies of industry 4.0). According to calculations, Russia is third among countries in terms of the number of Arctic publications in the Web of Science Core Collection database, significantly contributing to highly cited papers; however, this contribution may be negatively affected by a decline in the share of Russian publications with international co-authorship. Thanks to its traditionally strong position, the Russian Academy of Sciences remains the leading centre of global Arctic research; within the country, it promotes Arctic science through its regional branches and institutes, as well as supports the intensification of university studies. The abstracts of selected 2023 Arctic grants reflect the topics of some future publications; for example, their analysis showed different attitudes towards the role of the climate factor in Arctic research: excessive focus of projects supported by foreign funds and a more balanced approach in Russian projects.