Purpose The aim of this study was to characterize the network of institutions, journals, and topics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) literature by Korean authors in the Web of Science Core Collection. The specific goals were to identify the collaborative relationships between Korean authors and international authors and to explore clusters of institutions, journals, and topics.
Methods Literature was searched in the Web of Science Core Collection on January 30, 2021. The search terms were “SARS-CoV-2” or “COVID” or “novel coronavirus” in the subject field. The search results were limited again to “South Korea” as the country and the publication type of “article.” The measurement tool was Biblioshiny, an app version tool for Bibliometrix.
Results Korean authors published 3.2 times more COVID-19–related articles in journals outside of Korea than in Korean journals. The journals showed three clusters by bibliographic coupling. In contrast, the co-citation network showed four clusters. Only a few journals were included in the clusters in both analyses. The conceptual structure of Keywords Plus by factorial analysis showed two clusters: “pathology and clinical treatment” and “knowledge and attitudes.” Institutions’ collaborative network consisted of four clusters. Korean researchers actively collaborated with international researchers, especially those in the United States.
Conclusion Because only a few Korean journals were included in the journal clusters by both coupling and co-citation network, more active citation of Korean journals is recommended. The identification of human behavior as a distinct theme in COVID-19 research suggests a different focus in this area besides clinical studies.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
A scientometric analysis of the effect of COVID-19 on the spread of research outputs Gianpaolo Zammarchi, Andrea Carta, Silvia Columbu, Luca Frigau, Monica Musio Quality & Quantity.2024; 58(3): 2265. CrossRef
Journal metrics, document network, and conceptual and social structures of the Korean Journal of Anesthesiology from 2017 to July 2022: a bibliometric study Sun Huh Korean Journal of Anesthesiology.2023; 76(1): 3. CrossRef
Distance is no longer a barrier to healthcare services: current state and future trends of telehealth research Saumyaranjan Sahoo, Junali Sahoo, Satish Kumar, Weng Marc Lim, Nisreen Ameen Internet Research.2023; 33(3): 890. CrossRef
Promotion to Top-Tier Journal and Development Strategy of the Annals of Laboratory Medicine for Strengthening its Leadership in the Medical Laboratory Technology Category: A Bibliometric Study Sun Huh Annals of Laboratory Medicine.2022; 42(3): 321. CrossRef
Document Network and Conceptual and Social Structures of Clinical Endoscopy from 2015 to July 2021 Based on the Web of Science Core Collection: A Bibliometric Study Sun Huh Clinical Endoscopy.2021; 54(5): 641. CrossRef
Better, Faster, Stronger: The Evolution of Co-authorship in International Management Research Between 1990 and 2016 Oliver Wieczorek, Markus Eckl, Madeleine Bausch, Erik Radisch, Christoph Barmeyer, Malte Rehbein Sage Open.2021;[Epub] CrossRef
Purpose This study examined changes in Asian journal editors’ daily life and work during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and investigated their opinions on expected changes, thereby providing preliminary data to support the future needs of journal editors.
Methods A survey questionnaire was developed and sent to 1,537 editors and staff of Asian scientific journals from July 13 to 19, 2020. The items gathered information on participants’ general characteristics, changes in daily life, changes in work life, anticipated future changes, and suggestions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results Of the 152 respondents (response rate, 9.7%), most were editors. Fifty-seven respondents (37.5%) felt very or extremely anxious about the COVID-19 pandemic, and 101 (68.4%) reported spending more time on the internet. The workload of editing, reviewing, and publishing had increased for about one-third of respondents (34.2%, n = 52). Forty-four respondents (28.9%) said that the number of submissions had increased. Of the 68 editors who had received manuscripts on COVID-19, 30 (44.1%) prioritized them. Most respondents (73.7%, n = 112) predicted that online-only journal publishing would expand after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusion COVID-19 appears to be a source of anxiety to editors, which may be related to the increased time they spend on the internet. Some editors reported an increased workload. To promote online communication, a better environment and training tools are required. Editors and staff will need more opportunities to prepare for online publishing, as editors believed that the online-only publication of scholarly journals would accelerate after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
Between panic and motivation: did the first wave of COVID-19 affect scientific publishing in Mediterranean countries? Mona Farouk Ali Scientometrics.2022; 127(6): 3083. CrossRef
Did anthropause generate a research pause during the pandemic? The experiences of a non‐medical journal Jiao Zhang Learned Publishing.2021; 34(3): 457. CrossRef
Was the number of submissions to scholarly journals in Korea affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? Sun Huh Science Editing.2021; 8(1): 117. CrossRef
COVID-19 and publishing Kihong Kim Science Editing.2020; 7(2): 109. CrossRef
Year in review and appreciation for 2020 reviewers Sue Kim Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing.2020; 26(4): 251. CrossRef
Reflections as 2020 comes to an end: the editing and educational environment during the COVID-19 pandemic, the power of Scopus and Web of Science in scholarly publishing, journal statistics, and appreciation to reviewers and volunteers Sun Huh Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions.2020; 17: 44. CrossRef