Bibliometric analysis of research on secondary organic aerosols: A science citation index expanded-based analysis (IUPAC technical report)

Abstract

This study was conceived to evaluate the global scientific output of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) research over the past 20 years and to assess the characteristics of the research patterns, tendencies, and methods in the papers. Data were based on the online version of Science Citation Index Expanded from 1992 to 2011. Publications referring to SOAs were assessed by distribution of the number of publications and times cited, source categories, source journals, author keywords, KeyWords Plus, and the most cited publications in these years. By synthetic analysis of author keywords, KeyWords Plus, titles, and abstracts, it was concluded that modeling is currently and will at least over the next decade continue to be the predominant research method to validate state-of-the-art knowledge of SOAs, and that the foci of SOA research will be the key precursors terpenes and isoprene, the mechanisms of oxidation and gas-phase reactions, and emission inventories. © 2013 IUPAC.