Key to accurate bibliometric analyses is the ability to correctly link individuals to their corpus of work, with an optimal balance between precision and recall. We have developed an algorithm that does this disambiguation task with a very high recall and precision. The method addresses the issues of discarded records due to null data fields and their resultant effect on recall, precision and F-measure results. We have implemented a dynamic approach to similarity calculations based on all available data fields. We have also included differences in author contribution and age difference between publications, both of which have meaningful effects on overall similarity measurements, resulting in significantly higher recall and precision of returned records. The results are presented from a test dataset of heterogeneous catalysis publications. Results demonstrate significantly high average F-measure scores and substantial improvements on previous and stand-alone techniques.

Understanding how individual scientists build a personal portfolio of research is key to understanding outcomes on the level of scientific fields, institutions, and systems. We lack the scientometric and statistical instruments to examine the development over time of the involvement of researchers in different problem areas. In this paper we present a scientometric method to map, measure, and compare the entire corpus of individual scientists. We use this method to analyse the search strategies of 43 condensed matter physicists along their academic lifecycle. We formulate six propositions that summarise our theoretical expectations and are empirically testable: (1) a scientist’s work consists of multiple finite research trails; (2) a scientist will work in several parallel research trails; (3) a scientist’s role in research trail selection changes along the lifecycle; (4) a scientist’s portfolio will converge before it diverges; (5) the rise and fall of research trails is associated with career changes; and (6) the rise and fall of research trails is associated with the potential for reputational gain. Four propositions are confirmed, the fifth is rejected, and the sixth could not be confirmed or rejected. In combination, the results of the four confirmed propositions reveal specific search strategies along the academic lifecycle. In the PhD phase scientists work in one problem area that is often unconnected to the later portfolio. The postdoctoral phase is where scientists diversify their portfolio and their social network, entering various problem areas and abandoning low-yielding ones. A professor has a much more stable portfolio, leading the work of PhDs and postdoctoral researchers. We present an agenda for future research and discuss theoretical and policy implications.

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Cet article compare le processus de basculement de deux bio-parcs, l’un localisé à Kobe au Japon, l’autre à Évry en France, en cluster. Il réfléchit de façon exploratoire et empirique sur les apports et les limites de l’utilisation des informations issues de l’analyse du capital social des entrepreneurs dans le suivi de la morphogenèse des clusters. Il propose de coupler cette analyse à une étude du contexte politique, économique et social du processus de « clustering ». Cette nouvelle approche ne prétend ni résoudre l’énigme de la réussite ou de l’échec de cette dynamique ni prédire leur avenir, mais elle fournit aux stratèges d’intéressantes pistes de réflexion sur leurs cheminements.

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