Thomson Salutes Japan's Contribution to Global Research
20/09/2007 07:53
PR Newswire
TOKYO, September 20 /PRNewswire/ --
Japan's continuing influence on international Research & Development
(R?) was recognized today as 17 of its most prominent scientists working in
the ten R? fields in Japan were presented with the Thomson Research Front
Award at the Thomson Japan Research Day and Research Front Awards 2007, held
at Marunouchi Building Hall in Tokyo.
Thomson Scientific, a leading provider of information solutions,
announced the winners following a bibliometric study of citation and research
using its Essential Science Indicators (ESI) product.
The seventeen leading scientists were presented with the accolade after
their research was analyzed using Thomson Scientific's Research Front
methodology to assess their level of influence on specific scientific fields
per se and other researchers in the sector.
The Research Front methodology was employed by the National Institute of
Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP) to advise on the formulation of the
3rd Science and Technology Basic Plan that went into effect in April 2006.
NISTEP continues to monitor emerging scientific areas and technology fields
using this method, with their most recent report Science Map 2004 (NISTEP
Report No. 100) printed in March 2007.
Research Front methodology looks at patterns of intense communication
between scientists and using citation analysis of a list of highly cited
papers, defined as the top 1% of papers in each of 22 disciplines, is
compiled. Discovering how these cited works are related is achieved by
Thomson's ESI and is called Research Front analysis, a tool which can assist
in identifying areas where important work is being conducted and where the
scientific community is focusing.
These Japanese winners were selected by examining author address
affiliation of highly cited papers in each Research Front to establish their
contribution to the R? within this sector. 16% of the 5,348 Research Fronts
in the 2001-2007 period had one or more author affiliate with Japan, and this
was analysed on two levels - one to identify the most cited author in each
front and the most cited paper.
Based on the findings the top ten Research Front areas where Japanese
scientists have had greatest emphasis and influence are:
-- Research Front #170
-- Dr. Yoshio Okamoto, Guest Professor, Funded Research Division of
Chiral Polymer Technologies (Daicel), EcoTopia Science Institute,
Nagoya University
-- Dr Eiji Yashima, Professor, Graduate of Engineering, Nagoya
University, Project Leader of "Super-structured Helix Project", Japan
Science and Technology Agency (JST), Exploratory Research for Advanced
Technology (ERATO)
-- For their contribution to the discovery, design and synthesis of
functional helical polymers
-- Research Front #700
-- Dr. Shizuo Akira, Professor, Department of Host Defense, Research
Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University
For his contribution to research into elucidation of the pathways from
viral recognition by innate immunity to interferon production
-- Research Front #730
-- Dr. Katsunari Oikawa, Associate Professor, Department of Metallurgy,
Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University
For his contribution to the development of the new magnetic shape
memory alloys
-- Research Front #933
-- Dr. Hideomi Koinuma, Advisor: National Institute for Materials
Science; Senior Fellow, Centre for Research and Development Strategy,
Japan Science and Technology Agency; Guest Professor, The University
of Tokyo; Guest Professor, The University of Tohuku; Professor
Emeritus: Tokyo Institute of Technology
-- Dr. Tomoteru Fukumura, Senior Assistant Professor, Institute for
Materials Research, Tohoku University
For their contribution to combinatorial discovery of room temperature
ferromagnetism in diluted magnetic oxide semiconductors
-- Research Front #1461
-- Dr. Naotoshi Nakashima, Professor, Department of Applied Chemistry,
Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University
For his contribution to research into Strategic Approaches for Carbon
Nanotube Solubilization and Functionalization
-- Research Front #1509
-- Dr. Ken-ichi Okamoto, Professor, Graduate School of Science and
Engineering, Yamaguchi University
-- Dr. Hidetoshi Kita, Professor/Director, Department of Environmental
Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering,
Yamaguchi University
-- Dr. Kazuhiro Tanaka, Associate Professor, Environmental Science and
Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamaguchi
University
-- For their contribution to the development of sulfonated polyimide
electrolyte membranes for fuel cells
-- Research Front #1781
-- Dr. Hiroki Shirato, Professor, Department of Radiology, Hokkaido
University Graduate School of Medicine
For his contribution to research into four-dimensional radiation
medicine improving the accuracy related to organ motion
-- Research Front #3032
-- Dr. Kei Hirose, Professor, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences,
Tokyo Institute of Technology
-- Dr. Motohiko Murakami, Assistant Professor, Institute for the Study of
the Earth's Interior, Okayama University
For their contribution to the discovery of post-perovskite phase
transition and the study of Earth's lowermost mantle
-- Research Front #4491
Dr. Masaki Azuma, Associate Professor, Division of Synthetic Chemistry
- Advanced Inorganic Synthesis; Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto
University
-- Dr. Yuichi Shimakawa, Professor, Division of Synthetic Chemistry -
Advanced Inorganic Synthesis, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto
University
-- Dr. Mikio Takano, Professor Emeritus, Institute for Chemical Research,
Kyoto University
For their contribution to the search for magnetic ferroelectrics in
Bi-based perovskites
-- Research Front #6117
-- Dr. Yoshiji Takemoto, Professor, Department of Organic Chemistry,
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University
For his contribution to For the Discovery and Application of symmetric
reactions Catalyzed by Multi-functional Thiourea Organocatalysts
"Facing an increasingly competitive world of scientific research,
Thomson's Research Front methodology allows Japan's policy makers and
researchers to clearly identify in which fields they are still hugely
influential and taking the lead," explains Mark Garlinghouse, Vice President
of Thomson Scientific Asia Pacific. "Our congratulations are extended to each
of these winners for making a difference to today's world of research."
Thomson Scientific's information solutions assist professionals at every
stage of research and development from discovery and analysis to product
development and distribution.
Thomson Scientific is also known for its annual announcement of Nobel
Prize candidates determined by high citation impact of their work. This year,
on 10 September Thomson revealed Thomson Scientific Citation Laureates
researchers, those likely to be in contention for Nobel honors in
anticipation of this year's Nobel Prize winners to be announced in October.
Each year, data from ISI Web of Knowledge(SM), a Thomson Scientific
research solution, is used to quantitatively determine the most influential
researchers in the Nobel categories of chemistry, economics, physiology or
medicine, and physics. Because of the total citations to their works, these
high-impact researchers are named Thomson Scientific Laureates and predicted
to be Nobel Prize winners, either this year or in the near future. Of the
54 Thomson Scientific Laureates named since 2002, four have gone on to win
Nobel honors.
Two Japanese researchers are cited for this year's prize: Yoji Totsuka,
Former Director-General High Energy Accelerator Research Organization,
Special University Professor, Emeritus University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan For
leadership roles in discovering that neutrinos change types and have mass.
Sumio Iijima, Professor, Meijo University , Nagoya, Japan, Research
Fellow, NEC Corporation, Ibaraki, Japan For his pioneering work on carbon
nanotubes, which has ignited a revolution in both physics and chemistry.
Visit the Thomson Scientific Laureates website at
scientific.thomson.com/nobel for more information.
Notes to Editors:
About The Thomson Corporation
The Thomson Corporation (www.thomson.com) is a global leader in providing
essential electronic workflow solutions to business and professional
customers. With operational headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson provides
value-added information, software tools and applications to professionals in
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and healthcare. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York
and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC). Thomson Scientific is a
business of The Thomson Corporation. Its information solutions assist
professionals at every stage of research and development-from discovery to
analysis to product development and distribution. Thomson Scientific
information solutions can be found at scientific.thomson.com.
Web site: http://www.scientific.thomson.com
http://www.thomson.com
Japan, Richard Liistro, Liistror@cosmopr.co.jp, Sachi Kikutake, kikutakes@cosmopr.co.jp, +81-3-5561-2915; Asia Pacific, Allison Wright of Grayling, +852-2164-8300, allison.wright@hk.grayling.com; US/Rest of World, Allison Hagan of Thomson Scientific, +1-215-823-1881, allison.hagan@thomson.com