A scientometrics study of rough sets in three decades

Abstract

Rough set theory has been attracting researchers and practitioners over three decades. The theory and its applications experienced unprecedented prosperity especially in the recent ten years. It is essential to explore and review the progress made in the field of rough sets. Mainly based on Web of Science database, we analyze the prolific authors, impact authors, impact groups, and the most impact papers in the past three decades. In addition, we also examine rough set development in the recent five years. One of the goals of this article is to use scientometrics approaches to study three decade research in rough sets. We review the historic growth of rough sets and elaborate on recent development status in this field. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.