Thomson Reuters identifies 'hottest' research fronts

12 December 2014

Share this on social media:

The Intellectual Property and Science business of Thomson Reuters has 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 what it describes as 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 utilised InCites Essential Science Indicators, 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 Science, to identify 'research fronts'  built on recently published 'core' or foundational journal articles.
 
Five noteworthy topics among the 'hottest' research fronts are:

  • Uncovering Genetic Links to ALS and Dementia: Hexanucleotide Repeat Expansion and Its Association with Frontotemporal Dementia and ALS;
  • Longer-Life Batteries: Electrode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries;
  • Silicon Science: Growth Properties of Silicene;
  • Understanding Impacts of Drought and Heat: Drought- and Heat-Induced Tree Mortality; and
  • Psychology: Statistical Evidence and Replication in Experimental Psychology.

Five further noteworthy topics are identified as:

  • Genomic Editing & Repair: CRISPR/Cas System for Genomic Editing;
  • Neglected Diseases: Clinical and Virological Features of Middle East Respiratory System;
  • New Electronics: Inverse Spin Hall and Spin Seebeck Effects;
  • Alternative Energy: High Performance Perovskite-Sensitized Solar Cells; and
  • Advanced Imaging: Application of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Functional Connectomics.

'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 and 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.'

Industry trends