130 D8. Distance Learning and Computer-based Educational Techniques in the Geosciences

Wednesday, 28 October 2020
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Meeting Rooms

EVALUATING IRANIAN ACADEMIC RESEARCH ACTIVITIES STATUS IN THE GEOSCIENCE DOMAIN BASED ON SCIENTOMETRIC AND GIS APPROACH

Paper number: 130-17
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 5:00 PM – 5:10 PM

Authors

Abstract

The main objective of this study is aim to explore the weaknesses and strengths of Iranian geosciences research activities outputs based on scientometric knowledge and GIS approaches. The current study surveyed 8431 publications, including theses and dissertations (1967 to 2015) and journal articles (1991 to 2016) in two research domains (geology and mining). All these were retrieved from Ganj database, which is the only source of data for theses and dissertations in Iran. After collecting sampled publications, quantification of collected data was reviewed and assessed using statistical and MS excel software. Scientometric knowledge and GIS maps were prepared based on higher education indicators, including gender, field of study, university within VOSviewer and GIS software. The findings indicate that the number of research publications has been increasing exponentially during the past two decades but insufficient and sometimes unacceptable in regard to their format. Moreover, most of the scientific collaboration networks are formed based on personal relations among professors in the same faculties in different universities and students have worked under the supervision of geoscience professors not specialized in any specific branches of the field. There is no effective correlation between the location of the study area and the experiences of the professors of host universities as well as the geographic distribution of host universities. Analyzing the topics of publications and experiences of the host university professors shows only a weak correlation. Surveying of the topics of publications and the scale of case study areas showed that there were no standards for performing research studies. Most of the studies did not do justice on providing the information of previous studies to inform future studies. Analyzing scientific collaboration networks among domestic and foreign universities showed that there is a low correlation coefficient (rate) between high ranked and low ranked Iranian universities and a very low rate concerning foreign countries. Reviewing the subject of publications showed that there was a low rate of creativity in selecting subjects of theses and multi-dimensional researches in universities. Finally, it is suggested to decision-makers that the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology have consider university-based to national strategies for conducting scientific, unified, and standardized research activities for all of the Iranian academic institutions, especially in the geoscience domain.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 52, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2020AM-356965

© Copyright 2020 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.