portfolios and landscapes of avian influenza research: new tools to inform policymaking
DESCRIPTION
Exploratory presentation on tools to characterize biomedical research portfolios, given at the STI 2014 conference in LeidenTRANSCRIPT
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19th International Conference on Science and Technology Indicators
Leiden, September 3-5, 2014
Portfolios and landscapes of avian influenza research: new tools to inform policymaking
Matthew L. Wallace · INGENIO (CSIC-UPV)Ismael Rafols · INGENIO (CSIC-UPV) · SPRU (University of Sussex)
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What tools and analyses can help allocate resources to a complex societal challenge such as avian influenza?
1. Context (research agenda): research portfolios as a science policy tool
2. Case study: avian influenza as a “societal challenge”
3. What can and can’t we learn about avian flu landscape and funding from bibliometrics?
OUTLINE
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The drivers for portfolio-level analysis
• Problem: perceived mismatch between research and desired outcomes
• Respond to current policy demands in grand societal challenges• Tackling large-scale, multi-stakeholder issues
• Transparency, accountability, cost-effectiveness, etc.
• Seeking out alternative research avenues spawning new solutions.
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Examples of current portfolio practices
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Moving beyond rhetoric and financial analogiesOther science policy literature can point to some promising pathways…
• Consider a broad range of outcomes and pathways for achieving them– From risk to uncertainty
• Think about how to link policy pull and science push– E.g., public-value mapping
• Take a systems approach to sets of research project– Look for “positive interactions” between projectsWhat might this look like?
(and can bibliometrics help?)
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Overview of avian flu as a case study
The Independent, June 11, 2014
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From public health governance to research: is there a mismatch?
Global governance / narratives of
control- Veterinary- Pandemic
preparedness- Public health
Science policy priorities
Portfolio design or evaluation?
Research enterprise
Collaboration? Coordination?
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Global governance / narratives of
control- Veterinary- Pandemic
preparedness- Public health
Science policy priorities
Portfolio design or evaluation?
Research enterprise
Collaboration? Coordination?
Editorial topics of top journals: vaccine and
treatment, “dual-use”, control, characterization of
disease, pandemic risk
In-depth, in-person interviews with 15
policymakers, scientists and stakeholders across
Europe
From public health governance to research: is there a mismatch?
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Global governance / narratives of
control- Veterinary- Pandemic
preparedness- Public health
Science policy priorities
Portfolio design or evaluation?
Research enterprise
Collaboration? Coordination?
Editorials topics of top journals: vaccine and treatment, “dual-use”
control, characterization of disease, pandemic risk
In-depth, in-person interviews with 15
policymakers, scientists and stakeholders across
Europe
Mapping the
research landscape
and research portfolios
From public health governance to research: is there a mismatch?
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Bibliometric data and methods
Combine Medical Subject Headings
(Medline)
Web of Knowledge database
Databases of Avian influenza and Influenza A
publications
Mapping and clustering
techniques (co-citation, co-term)
Other funding data on avian
flu and Influenza A
Overlays and cluster analysis
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Avian flu publications and funding
Avian influenza funding by main funding agencies ($M)
Influenza A funding by main funding agencies ($M)
Source: Über Research Data
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The research landscape at different scales (co-term)
Influenza A, 2004-2013
Avian influenza, 2004-2013
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Characterizing the overall landscape
HUMAN
ANIMAL
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Characterizing the overall landscape
BASIC
CLINICAL
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Characterizing the overall landscape
FIELD-BASED
LAB-BASED
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• Journals (and sub-disciplines) cut across clusters• Keywords are often ambiguous• Some scale/granularity dependency (of clusters and
overall landscape)
But we need clarity to understand / inform the allocation of resources!!
Characterizing clusters and research options
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Landscape as a continuum“Vaccine/vaccination” as a keyword in abstracts
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Veterinary science as a WoS subject categoryLandscape as a continuum
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Virology as a WoS subject categoryLandscape as a continuum
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Virology as a MeSH qualifierLandscape as a continuum
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Overlays from funding data in WoS
Canadian Institutes for Health Research(Influenza A, 2010-12)
GlaxoSmithKline(Influenza A, 2010-12)
Welcome Trust(Influenza A, 2010-12)
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Overlays from funding application data (ÜberResearch)
Canadian Institutes for Health Research(Influenza A, 2003-13)
Welcome Trust(Influenza A, 2003-13)
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• Cannot be described according to disciplinary lines
• We can tentatively identify the dominant lines of research: epidemiology, molecular biology, immunology, vaccine development
• We can see where connections lie (overall and within portfolios): e.g., very few connections between epidemiology and virology (lab-based)
• Public funders generally tend to diversify their portfolios, but overall objectives (“problems”) are not reflected
• We can identify gaps according to influenza research overall
What does this tell us about avian flu?
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• Portfolios lens has the potential to help tackle complex societal problems: a way to move beyond “excellence”
• Mapping and clustering of bibliometric data can be useful, but cannot produce “one-dimensional”, prescriptive description
• Co-word overlays present data/technical difficulties, but are good means to visualize research and especially to elicit opinions
CONCLUSION
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THANK YOU
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