Thomson Reuters and Chinese Academy of Sciences Identify the Hottest, Emerging Fields in Scientific Research(3)

December 15, 2014

Advances in ALS Research and Environmental Science Are among the Hottest Research Fields, while Genomic Editing and Solar Cell Fabrication Emerge as Leading Research Fronts

PHILADELPHIA, PA, U.S.A - Dec 15, 2014 - The Intellectual Property and Science business of Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, today released  “Research Fronts 2014: 100 Top Ranked Specialties in the Sciences and Social Sciences,” an annual report identifying prominent areas of scientific research over the past year.

The study identifies the top 100 hottest fields of scientific research and 44 emerging research fronts, based on a comprehensive analysis of scientific literature citations.   Working in collaboration with the National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NSLC), Thomson Reuters bibliometric experts utilized  InCitesTM Essential Science IndicatorsSM, the world’s leading web-based research analytics platform and a unique compilation of science performance metrics and trend data based on scholarly paper publication counts and citation data from the Web of ScienceTM, the premier web-based environment for scientific and scholarly research, to identify “research fronts”  built on recently published “core” or foundational journal articles.

Five noteworthy topics among the hottest research fronts are:

Hottest Research    Field of Science
Uncovering Genetic Links to ALS and Dementia: Hexanucleotide Repeat Expansion and Its Association with Frontotemporal Dementia and ALS     Biological Sciences
Longer-Life Batteries: Electrode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries    Chemistry and Materials Science
Silicon Science: Growth Properties of Silicene    Physics
Understanding Impacts of Drought and Heat: Drought- and Heat-Induced Tree Mortality    Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Psychology: Statistical Evidence and Replication in Experimental Psychology    Economics, Psychology and Other Social Sciences

Five noteworthy topics among the hottest research fronts are:

Emerging Research Fronts    Field of Science
Genomic Editing & Repair: CRISPR/Cas System for Genomic Editing    Biological Sciences
Neglected Diseases: Clinical and Virological Features of Middle East Respiratory System     Clinical Medicine
New Electronics: Inverse Spin Hall and Spin Seebeck Effects    Physics
Alternative Energy: High Performance Perovskite-Sensitized Solar Cells    Chemistry and Materials Science
Advanced Imaging: Application of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Functional Connectomics    Biological Sciences


“We were pleased to work with the NSLC to expand the depth of this year’s Research Fronts report,” said  David Pendlebury, Thomson Reuters IP & Science analyst. “The combined strength of Thomson Reuters unparalleled data and analysis capabilities with the Chinese Academy’s expertise in scientific research not only increases the depth of the report, but also provides a solid foundation for researchers, funding agencies and administrators for better decision making by identifying research trends and new areas of study.”

Read the full report: ”Research Fronts 2014: 100 Top Ranked Specialties in the Sciences and Social Sciences.” Learn more about InCites and Web of Science.

About National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NSLC)
The National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NSLC), provides research-focused institutions with a public information platform composed of scholarly literature, strategic intelligence and communication services in the natural sciences, inter-disciplinary fields and technology. The NSLC also grants Doctoral and Master’s degrees in library and information sciences and is a prominent member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).


About Thomson Reuters
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