爱思唯尔刚刚发布的《全球景观中的可持续发展科学》报告含有对我的采访

武夷山

在联合国可持续发展峰会即将于明天召开之际，爱思唯尔出版集团今天中午12点发布了大型报告，Sustainability Science in a Global Landscape（全球景观中的可持续发展科学），报告全文见https://www.elsevier.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/119061/SustainabilityScienceReport-Web.pdf。.。，可免费下载。。，，

这是第一次利用大型文献数据库对“可持续发展科学”这样一个多学科的复杂领域进行“深描”。前段时间的某一天，我接受了爱思唯尔的采访，对他们的这项工作发表了看法。采访是用中文进行的，然后对方对采访稿进行了翻译，我又对翻译稿进行了最终审定。这段采访出现在这部报告的37-38页上。下面是采访内容：

 INTERVIEW

Yishan Wu

Vice President, Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for

Development. An expert on bibliometrics, he has been involved in

bibliometrics studies since 1992 and has published more than 60

papers in this field.

In your opinion, why is studying a research field using bibliometrics important for research that supports sustainable development?

All databases, including Scopus, are based on journals, and the creation of journals is usually based on disciplines. The management of all foundations, including the US National Science Foundation and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), is also based on disciplines. However, research on a comprehensive topic such as sustainability science requires integrated information. In other words, the existing discipline classification, funding structure and journals cannot meet the needs of research that supports sustainable development. It is therefore important to conduct studies, as in this report, to

investigate the status of sustainability science in an integrated way.

Today, human beings face many complicated, cross-disciplinary issues, such as AIDS prevention and population control, but our knowledge is divided into various disciplines, and reflected in discipline-specific journals. To facilitate research that supports sustainable development, there is a need to have journals specifically for the field. Through the analysis in this report, we can identify which existing journals are more relevant for this field. By paying special attention to sustainability science journals, research achievements in connection with this topic can be reflected in a centralized way.

Bibliometric studies will also help researchers acquire a more comprehensive understanding of the status of research on sustainable development and identify their peers who are conducting similar research.

How is the use of bibliometrics to study sustainability science relevant

to policy?

The analysis of the quantity of research output is very relevant to policy making. Take the UN for example, all aspects of its work have a priority, and with this kind of analysis we can assess whether the quantity of our existing literature matches its priority fields. If the quantity of literature for the priority fields is small, the UN can then make adjustments. 

In addition, analysis can also be conducted on citations and funding. Take HIV/AIDS for example: analysis can be conducted to show how many projects the WHO or the NIH in the US has initiated and invested in. Citations to the related literature can indicate to some extent the return on their investment.

Such bibliometric analysis is very necessary for studying complicated issues.As mentioned earlier, the knowledge we have is divided. The Ministry of Science and Technology of China has put forward 16 major national projects in the national medium and long term plan towards 2020, but where is the literature corresponding to those projects? Since the existing disciplinary division does not correspond to issues or fields of our concern, it is a huge challenge to find all the relevant literature, research institutes and researchers. Bibliometric study will contribute significantly in this respect.

What value do you think this report will bring?

The greatest value is providing data-based evidence; anything we do needs the support of facts and data, including literature. Therefore, it is an extraordinary attempt to use bibliometric methodology to analyze a major topic such as sustainability science. I say it is extraordinary because I know it is hard, but it is also worthwhile and should continue.

On the other hand, consideration shall also be given to the spillover effect of this project, extending from literature management to knowledge and funding management. The question is whether, or to what extent, this management should switch from something that is based on disciplines to something that focuses on the topics of concern, such as sustainable development.

In your opinion, what will be the biggest challenge for sustainability science in the future?

Our existing knowledge management system, i.e. journal classification, runs counter to our needs to really solve the problems. How can a scientist rapidly build his or her own credit? The traditional experience is to specialize – it is not enough to say you are a physicist, it’s better to be a condensed-matter physicist or something like that. And it’s even better to be specialized in superconductivity, and even better in high-temperature superconductivity. However, in reality, we are

faced with the need to be integrated.

Big problems also exist in the current management systems. For example, NFSC has a number of departments, including the Department of Mathematical

and Physical Sciences, the Department of Life Sciences, the Department of Information Sciences, and so on. When applying for grants, every researcher has to figure out to which department his or her proposal should be submitted. But proposals dealing with sustainability science are closely connected with every department, and just could not be pigeonholed into any of those departments properly.

We all say interdisciplinary research is important, but the challenge is how to implement it. In China for example, sustainable development involves many government agencies, including the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Science and Technology and many others. However, the funding sources for sustainability science are rather fragmented. Is it possible for the National Development and Reform Commission of China, for example, to set up a dedicated department for sustainable development? Only with system support and dedicated responsible people can things be done well.