Public Policy Alumnus Jian Wang Receives 2017 Eugene Garfield Award

Posted September 28, 2017

Jian Wang, 2013 alumnus from the Georgia Tech School of Public Policy, was named the inaugural winner of the Eugene Garfield Award for Innovation in Citation Analysis. The award amount is $25,000, and the winner also receives access to Web of Science data. The School of Public Policy is a unit in the Georgia Tech’s Ivan College of Liberal Arts.

Wang, an assistant professor at the Science Based Business Program, Faculty of Science, at Leiden University in the Netherlands, was selected for the award from among applications from 18 countries in Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, and South and Central America.

The award was created to recognize early-career scientists working on innovative approaches in citation analysis, one of the key interests of Eugene Garfield, and an important component of his impact on information retrieval, research assessment, and the study of the science of science.

Wang’s research applies scientometric and econometric methods to characterize novel research using citation data and to use references to scientific literature from within patents to explore the translation of science into innovation. His work lies at the intersection of information science, economics, and public policy, and his findings contribute to the discussion of how bibliometric indicators can be enhanced to better identify and assess novel research and translational science. 

“Among the many excellent submissions, Jian’s application stood out because it was grounded equally in the methodology of citation analysis and the application of these approaches to further scientific policy and governance,” said David Pendlebury, who worked with Garfield for many years and served on the application review panel. “Gene was interested in applying citation analysis methods to real-world scientific problems, and this award is meant to recognize that.”

Reacting to the news, Wang said, “I will make good use of the award funding and access to Web of Science data to build a data infrastructure and research team to pursue my research, such as topic modeling for identifying novel research and mapping patent in-text references to the scientific literature. This recognition comes at an important time in my career as I’m establishing my independent research program.”

The award was announced during a memorial symposium for Garfield, where hundreds of his professional colleagues, friends and family gathered to celebrate his contributions and personal commitment to early career scientists from around the world. The two-day event included a series of scientific presentations on past, current, and possible future uses of citation data in information retrieval and research assessment, as well as personal reflections on Garfield as a scholar, innovator, entrepreneur, colleague, friend, and family man. 

“With Wang as the first award recipient, combined with the broader symposium and program, we’re able to properly honor and show our appreciation for Garfield, who was a visionary leader, colleague, and friend to so many,” said Jessica Turner, global head of the Scientific and Academic Research business at Clarivate Analytics.

For the full article “Clarivate Analytics Announces Winner of Eugene Garfield Award” visit Clarivate Analytic’s website.