A researcher with the Max Planck Institute of Solid State Physics in Stuttgart, Germany, suggests a new index to determine the hot topics in a scientific field. Jim Giles writes in Nature (17.5.2006) "if it stands up to scrutiny, it could be used to rate topics across the sciences." The hottest issues in physics are at present carbon nanotubes, nanowires, quantum dots, fullerenes and the giant magnetoresistance. The original paper is posted here
http://www.arxiv.org/abs/physics/0604216
The author Michael Banks writes that the ranking may give newcomers like undergraduate students or PhD students some help on which horse to bet.
In the Times Higher Education Supplement Jessica Shepherd writes (19.5.2006) about a study that concludes "it is better for an academic paper to be one of the best in a medium-ranking journal than to be one of the weakest articles in a world-leading title." The study surveyed a range of six economics journals. The findings challeng the received wisdom governing the academic career ladder: that publishing in big-name journals is best the way to get noticed by academic colleagues and secure promotion.
http://www.arxiv.org/abs/physics/0604216
The author Michael Banks writes that the ranking may give newcomers like undergraduate students or PhD students some help on which horse to bet.
In the Times Higher Education Supplement Jessica Shepherd writes (19.5.2006) about a study that concludes "it is better for an academic paper to be one of the best in a medium-ranking journal than to be one of the weakest articles in a world-leading title." The study surveyed a range of six economics journals. The findings challeng the received wisdom governing the academic career ladder: that publishing in big-name journals is best the way to get noticed by academic colleagues and secure promotion.