Document 1498679

Translation
757-60,
by
of:
1976.
Eugene
Garfield E. La science fran sise est-elle trop
The illustration
IS reproduce c? with permission.
Garfield
Institute
for
Is French
Scientific
Philadelphia,
19106
● scientific
article
by the number
of times
it’s been
La /?echerche
7:
Science Too
Provincial?
Information
Pennsylvania
Can one evaluate
●
prov!nciale?
cited?
An
●nswer
tO that
can’t be ●ttempted with 100 great caulion. The use of quantitative
data ●lone
risks distoflion of the complexity of the process of scientific publication. Indeed, one can take the
position that number of citations cannot serve ●s even ●n approximate measure of scientific worth.
question
probably
Nevertheless, some numbers and comparisons fumish food for thought. Eccgene Garfield is
president of the Instttute for S( mstlf!c Intormatlon, which includes ●mong its services Current
Con!t,nts
well-known
to most research
scientists.
Here Dr. Garfield examines the case of France.
Are French ioumals cited frequently? What journals cite French ●uthorsf His findings ●re far from
complimentary, and certainly not beyond ●rgument. But they agree with ● picture of French science that is not unique with ~. Garfield, a picture it will be dangerous to irinore.
■
See Introduction: "Le nouveau defi Americain.", p.88, Essays, Vol:3
●
About
twenty
vlslt
to France
and
speak
doctoral
French
ago,
asserting
American
exams
the time
to read
to pass my
As a student
not only
of the
but also of tts
science
certain
French
scientists
work
was being
scmntlsts
too
lazy
to learn
lectured
!n Parts In
Science
among
data
were
Ignored
French
SCl@
showed
When
their
that
by the Americans
by
colnc(dence
By
In France
than
the
feellng
had
grown
French
fears
their
and
that
by the
these
hme
I first
1%5 about the then new
scientists
mania
m 1%1
and
Index@,
Citation
nat[onal
20
Increasing,
French
saw the
even
to France
were
beauty
wtal role
I returned
protests
of
literature,
However,
their
that
my fm.t
I was able
enough
of language,
and
I made
days
language
history
diplomacy,
ago,
I was aware
of the French
years
well
language
Ilngulst!cs,
(n the
years
In those
sclent]sts
were
work
the
of neglect
Into
a
first
confirmed
the
was seldom
cited
Brmsh
Is it a
to this day the SCJ is used
In any other
country
less
of her size?
89
See Introduction: "Le nouveau defi Americain.", p.88, Essays, Vol:3
[)ec line of frcm[
h sclence~
Since
the study
publlshcd
I hope
my French
for ~tatlng
f ren(h
scwnce
reasons
much
that
of other
commensurate
population
and
hds produced
Monod
with
wealth
But It IS clear
decades
the condlt!om
have
not been
symptom
science
IS the
cognize
that
their
flndlngs
rest of the world’s
My
publication
French
year
record
lournals
publtshed
by the
lnformat!on@,
modern
most
ob)ectwe
assessment
nation,
/ndex
so heavily
most
one
sclentlst
In a publlshed
assessment
of cltatlons
report,
of a
confirmed
that
betwc=en
the number
literature
The
Inst!tute
there
2 In the study,
In France
and
were
constituted
a single
determined
which
aggregate cited
and
IS cited
French
journals
French
tndexed
aggregate
We
frequently,
most
which
are
they
Journals
and
French
which
the world
frequently
re-
the “aver
made
only
86
IS a national
that
!n 1974,
Of the
by the
most
only
cited
are themselves
)ournals
most
three
50 journals
of the French
frequently
seven
only
French,
the French
ctters
whtch
But of the ten
cited
characteristic
most
cited
Iournal
frequently
are themselves
most
frequently
ten are French
cited
correspond
most
IS a
l“ternatlo”a]
list of the 50 journals
by all French
fairly
well
frequently
as a whole
both
journals
to a list of the
cited
In 1974
differences,
by the
Hut In fact
In ranks
50
sclentlflc
there
and
In
totals
For example,
wwntlflc
In 1974 the most
journals
Amer;can
equal,
of the
a
Ilterature,
Ittcvature
literature
segment
frequently
Iournals
most
then
this stngle
throughout
of French
by the Science
as though
journal
lournals
most
study
Indicate
by the French,
cltatlon
Information
treated
published
the French
article
129 journals
also
ten
should
performance
a cttatton
counts
made
cited
are the greatest
are telllng
completed
/ndex
studies
1
journals
journals
This In Itself
of
larger
citation
art!cle
articles,
are primarllv
Of the
sclenttflc
of the
15 a slgnlflcant
for Sclent!flc
htgher
13 previous
If the French
Extensive
a scholarly
those
mediocre,
of
journals
an
of a vast number
a consensus
recently
publtshed
of another
of the other’s
research
of times
in the
C/tat/on
the work
sc ientlsts
with
2 6%
French
themselves
cited
an
he or she regtsters
comprises
France’s
scientific
in French
The data
to base an
or even
The aggregation
publtshlng
correlatmn
cites
of the value
contribution
)ournals
references
French
When
have
article
that
Since
Indtvlcfual
world’s
age”
such
The French
on the
contributmn
a journal,
to about
by the
comprehenswe,
of the sclent)flc
ference
only
an
the record
on which
to recewe
total
and
how
by
French
peculiarity
literature
I am president
evidence
a unlverslty,
and
tend
5 3%
In comparison
No matter
the “average”
about
indexed
of the
indicates
us
science
these
3 8%
this
each
(SCI),
Information,
IS the
IS the
for Sclentlfic
depends
of sclentlflc
While
by the
scientists
are small
there
glve$
represent
(n 1974,
This
nattons
journals
prevent
to the scientific
of which
of this exchange
in the
is compiled
Instnute
science
exchange
of French
Th(s data
Index
Iournals
only
indexed
probably
journals
However,
the references
other
commumty
Science C/tation
(n the
International
to re-
this observation
journals
of 2,443
or
for journals
m French
129 French
produced
Many
Nevertheless,
Iournals
Idea of trends
Items
a
and of course
of France
the SCJ In 1974
all of
from
In I rench
5 J’% of the total
source
the
read
The
covered
In !nternatlonal
written
of 129 French
lournals
a significant
casually
sclent(flc
basis for making
giants
scientists
researchers
being
of
The most
exclusively
French
from
outside
such
By publishing
research
language,
published
group
Issues
speaking
standpoint
non- Fren( h journals,
a general
journal
$trlctly
study
publ15h
which
giants
the
or a sc wrtlflc
\clentlsts
articles
and
only
literature--elther
are many
of French
IS no longer
language
of their
French
tn France
that
has not
the past three
of French
French
International
more
over
of the decllrre
refusal
Ilngu!st((
other
Pasteur,
for fostering
present
obwous
results
that
cla+m
sclentlf)c
[rench
In
a nation
of producing
$clence
The
the country’s
Lavolsier,
we cannot
f rench
support
nations,
Surely
Pascal,
IS capable
[ rench
which,
me
today
to be In decllne
research,
with
that
to do with
and
romparlson
WIII forgive
observation
appears
have
for ecfuratlon
been
colleagues
a painful
covered
In 1 ram e In 1974,
Chemical
It should
frequently
IS Slnce(
cited
contributed
2 6Y.
for the
they
equal--account
Society,
appear
as noted
SC(,
highly
was the /ourna/
crted
of
o/ the
All thlng5
being
first on a list of journals
by French
above,
journals,
the French
of all references
should--all
for 2 6°A
th!ngs
and
Iournals
processed
again
of the c!tatlons
being
it
recelvecf
by the journal
Chemical
Society
the French
about
journals
account
by the
Identical
cited
of Blologlcal
factor
of 5 84
appear
second
frequently
cited
Instead,
the
Iournals
Ch!m{que
de France,
cltatlons
second
c!tatlons
cltatlons
the expected
The heavy
f rench
language,
are Ilsted
received
In 1974,
(Nouvelle)
Presse
French
f rench
In order
cmxf
list,
that
ranked
relatwely
(Nouvelle)
medlclne
because
Important
French
most
part
Iournals,
that
]ournal$,
much
andthat
mamlyof
foreign
own,
self-citing
Iowlmpact.
literature
while
much
their
Islgnored
own
journals
This
The French
journals
bytherest
heavily
than
is cited
a cosmopolitan
is
may
well
“The
for France
major
be due
country,
Much
)?endus.
and
of citations
small
If the articles
have
less material
a relatively
per article.”3
a longer
results
Multi-part
The
article
although
count,
to the
contain
would
raising
In fewer
articles
of
for the
of relatively
presumably
I exammed
of citation
into
two
the
total
or
citations
might
per
be better
4 CRS
numbers
of cltatjons
It ranked
13th
Iournal
However,
average
number
only
that
its Impact
for 1%9,
of sheer
impressive--in
m frequency
it is a major
of c{tatlons
O 788
in journal
in terms
was quite
worldwide
of the
in a
as a tool
performance
Indicating
city
performance
Rendus
analysis
evaluation
Item--was
the
Comptes
mainly
91
that,
combmed
number
parts,
study
Intact
cltatlons,
of theworid.
the Soviet
by far from
IS lower
It is for any
of sphttmg
smaller
fact,
cite
their
asserted
m Comptes
they
number
study
that
but
of this cnatlon
ratio
of a large
world-famous
was
in France
literature
Itislike
rate
indicates
France
cltatlonsto
countrtes
literature
In 1972
French
published
more
left
that
clearly
and
equal
of cltatlonsipubhcations
publication
of
UK
Japan,
cltatlons
authors
than
level
publication
study
predominantly
normal.
Literature
by themselves
that
their
lSl@
them,
flndlng
to be cited,
three
the
of the 50 journals
were
than
thesclentiflc
same
below
the
Is most
The
approximately
Iowratloof
field
practice
not return
c@cfFrench
these
higher
low
by the
on rare occaslocrs
of the
a Iistlng
frequently
showed
It does
except
In another
ranked
world
Germany,
the fewest
articles
likely
French
Union
cltatlons,
States
for France--whatwe
are short,
is highly
it w about
In
In
the Soviet
The
sized
It is
Medicale
because
68%,
West
bltlng
Impact
French
}t is an internationally
journal
compliment
whole
!n engineering
call
counting
than
than
world
most
low
ln 1972,
better
the total
publications
the
on
frequently
asa
M highly
place
wascltedby
more
Presse
French
Lancer
French
in fdth
worst
the United
slgnlflcantly
or all the other
Just above
Kingdom,
44%
countries
In every
on a list of Iournals
United
In clln!cal
bytheoutslde
receives
ata
Far below
Klngdompubllshed
that
with
led the
France
I%of
cltatlons/publications
cltatlons
by the French
literature
bythe
all sclent!f!c
fared
time
period,
followed
outstde-of-country
was the very
plays
the
Japan
Germany
found
The
States
finally
and
Japan
the outside
Presse
when
of total
6th
by
of
undoubtedly
A4edicale,
bytheworldwlde
clear
Journals
lsLancet--whlch
Journals
and
next,
ranks
overa
thlstlme
francefared
the United
West
“other”
cltlng
a matter
365th
ranks
frequently
wlthonlv2
Union
(Nouvelle)
ranks
journals
most
of 2 b’%--the
of French
~or example,
France
hlghlyclted
four
were
mecflclne,
ranks
journals
Over
although
Measuring
case
al 3 The
U S S R
and
thewodd,
has been
Narlnet
United
countries
Iapan,
authors
to
100/~--about
language
which
ranks
the
scientific
Impact
of publlcatlons,
Union
7 2’?.,
F
Ieadlng
the Soviet
11 8%,
ninety-fifth
m every
two
contrast,
of French
c!tatlons
IS not wholly
although
Mecf/ca/e,
so
Iournak
cltatlon
journals
a part
rate
are French
times,
total
the Bcdletln
exceeds
of
low
dlstancebythe
for example,
cited
6,671
found,
(;ermany,
not
factor
cltatlon
In fact,
these
la 5oclete
de
It ranks
of French
It
French
1971
In number
slgnlftcant
most
highly
number
Although
journals
most
by all Iournals
cftatlons,
worldwide
equal,
492
l%5to
the study
It does
an Impact
IS 2,471
ratio
being
journals
with
In French
the
t[mes
things
from
world
the
tnastudyby
stucfycovered
span
high
on a Itst of journals
The actual
in worldwlde
where
All
an extremely
2 6’?0 French
be 173
h}ghly
that
IS of generally
supported
was the )ournal
was Bulletin
It was cited
the “expected”
most
the second
with
literature
by the
In 1974
second
by French
cited
those
journal
by French
loumal
In a
sclentlflc
Chemistry
impact
would
wjth
single
should
and except
highly
of
or just
international
For example,
highly
(1 77
most
rest O( the
community
most
dtssemlnatton
journals
The flndlng
are not
cited
Ilmlted
f rench
of fact,
for 2555,
are not equal,
cases the lmsrnals
French
the
As a matter
2 b“h
But all things
few
lhe
of the American
In 1974
of
archwal
factor--the
per publlshe.d
and
had dropped
Icwrndl!
●
that
c ItI>d I rwlth
oullltwr
ot ( Utat((m,
number
<>! it,ll
C/A
E
tvrnls
I[wrnals
●
renduj
[ I ~);~)
de la \octefe
(n [Jr(kr
ht,it
III (lt.,(
I\ ~,yvn
I.
{II (,%,
mort>
. . . (~t,r~
high
c ,tatl(,n\
N) t>”,,,).
.,.lt
t ot
th(,w
Iren<h
UIIW
l(jurn.]ts
(
l<>urnal,
m
3.
4.
5.
6.
C. Rend. Acad, Sci. CChim.
Semaine Hopitaux
Nouv. Presae Medicale
J. Organomet. Chem.
7.
C,
thv
Acad Sci. A Math.
Physique
Acad. Sci. B. Phys.
Analytical Chemistq
Tetrahedron
Ann. Chirurgie
C. Rend. Sot, Biol.
Lyon Medical
Arch, Maladies Coeur
J. Amer. Chem, Sot.
J. Chem. Sot. Perkhr
J. Organic Chemistry
Revue Rhumatisme
Tetrahedron Letters
Pathologic Biologic
Line Medicalc
Canad. J. Chemistry
Biochimic
Neuro-Chirccrgie
J. Radiol. Electrol.
Arch. Fr. Pc&atrie
J, Chirurgie
J. Micmacopie (Paris)
Eur. J, Med. Chem.
9. C, Rend.
10.
11,
12.
19.
14,
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27,
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
S5.
36.
37.
S8.
Brain Research
Angeiol.
Dcut. Med. Wachr.
Biochim. Biophys. Acts
Coercr Med. Interne
Physical Review B
Ann. Radiologie
J. Urologic Nephrol.
Ann. Cardiol.
with
of total
ant
which
tlmei
out
of ten,
In term>
), >Itghtl!
they
45366
1308
27280
11.22
1171
92
C/B
c!ted
A
=
total
of total
C
=
cltatlons,
[percentage
French
{Ind$
of self-
Ions,
<autlon
c
1952
1379
1151
882
801
655
588
556
466
495
404
394
S67
965
358
343
S42
326
315
269
252
249
240
296
230
22s
215
215
212
207
198
192
187
185
184
181
180
180
1317
869
579
125
323
——
1460,.,
In any
S02
——
79
232
49
221
103
——
49
41
154
66
65
72
14
129
112
——
13
——
30
24
107
Bullefrn
the
( $erfes
D for the Compfes
h journdl$
or In terms
wvnl
IS w
D
474
S67
come
des kfences
e$pecldlly In view
B
lt ,s in
to French
Rendus
of I ren( h journals
of f rem
literature
thus
references
lournali
de /’Acddemie
this cltatlon
wtth
Iournals,
moit
f!gurr= In column
w wntlflc
11129
11102
4762
5603
4900
22699
1924
4489
2243
27658
13059
1916
)926
2771
2466
46267
20327
21976
1549
11178
2866
1842
12685
4677
1363
1?64
1642
1265
1634
1541
19626
1132
—.
=
a la~ge percentage
dlsturhlng,
A
F
of French
01 all [(tat
Intvrndtlorral
In terrrl$
one
rendus
[he
[ Itt+
be [nterpr~tvcl
(ndlcdles
ot I ren< h lournals,
cltatlons
D) that
[Itatlons
Thus
journal
the table
otdtlons
c ltatlons),
(Ser/es
thl~
whether
ihould
1. C. Rend. Acad. Sci. DNat.
2. B, SOC.Chim. France
8. J. Chim.
order
wght
JOURNAL
Rend.
title
t tac tor
1 17[1),
the Compte$
that
rot{,
of total
trequemk
t{) t><. ,IgmtIc
that
I hcit> (Iat,)
( btatg(>n In mar))
ImIJa(
.M.rI1
-,t,lt ( l!atmn
each
lmpd{
G
des sc)ences
end!ng
I hat rnt..ins
noteworthy
tor
[n terms
)
the
ot
de f rance
●
A)
, [tatlcm~
de I 4c.+demlr=
C)(1151)Vt[
Nlank
UIthv Ilgurvs
Ih=rw\
D
I rt,ll{ h < Ifdfl(mj
Chrmfque
m 1974
B . total number of
B/A [percentage ot trench
journal$,
,,! wlt
(It
drv h,tt,cl
the (ompte$
l{,urrl.+ls
( It<It I<)(I.
[pe,< {.I,I,,x(.
ltatj<m~ [n
,
Iourmds
(JI othvr
17.5
12.4
24.2
15.7
16.3
2.9
30.6
12.4
20.8
1,6
3.1
20.6
19.1
13.2
14.5
0.7
1.7
1.5
20.4
2.4
8.9
13.5
1.9
5.0
16.9
17.6
13,1
17.0
13.0
13,4
1.0
17.0
0.4
14.1
0.7
16.0
15.4
thlf
c)t the
But I!
If wlf[
of all
ltatlon
French
pa{ e$i of
tact
that
the
Ilmltwl
E
11.8
7.8
12.0
2.2
6.6
—
F
G
67.5
6S.0
49.8
14.2
40.3
——
0.51
0.77
0.51
0,29
0.60
2.38
0,20
0.88
0.44
3.29
1.57
0.16
0.30
0.24
0,64
4,38
1,34
1,49
0.48
1.77
0.56
0.13
1.39
1.63
0.S6
0.21
1.01
0,15
1.60
——
24.6
8.2
13.5
80.6
66.0
64.8
——
——
4.1
12,0
1,8
9.0
20.0
63.2
13.4
61.7
——
6.7
32.7
——
1.7
2.2
19.4
16.5
——
3.9
4.8
5.1
4,4
1,1
7.9
7.3
——
65.9
28.7
29.1
3s.5
6.5
60.8
54.1
——
1.1
6.8
——
——
2.3
——
16.3
——
2.1
9.1
13.3
59.4
3.10
0.s5
——
3.11
0.53
2.86
0.39
0.18
to O 383
by 1974
Iournals
performed
had
Impact
factors
the average
extremely
Corrrptes
low
Slmtlarly,
respected
Presse
But
International
Over
of over
2.0
Rendus
15(XI other
30U journals
The
impact
article
which
is very
ranks
although
high
low
in
A careful
examination
hughly
2.
377
3.
290
4
256
5.
213
6.
193
7.
185
8.
184
9.
181
10.
167
11.
161
12.
159
13.
153
List of artl{
scientists
shown
that
these
international
journals
most
of the cltatlon
French
each
scientists
scientists
publlshes
outside
of Monod’s
data
for
has
all share
one
In English
or in
of France
For
articles
were
publlshed
his scientific
possible
396
French
journals.
In the /ourna/ of Molecular Biology.
These highly-ctted scientists wisely recognize
that for the author who wishes to assure that
it rose from
effort
1.
ranked
characteristic
example,
O 494 In 1%9 to 0.612 in 1974, France’s share of
the journals which excel is painfully low,
especially for a country of her size and research
national
In foretgn
clearly
medical
journals,
comparison,
dlstlngulshed
many
A4edica/e is widely
French
The more
publlshed
of
is
lower
International
Its Impact,
to other
over
better.
and getting
among
Journals
relatwe
In contrast,
circle
contribution
of readers,
reaches
the
largest
it IS imperative
to
Ilsiery J P. Miae en evi&nce &s polysacchari&s
sur coupes frees en micr~
scopie elecmrrrigue (Electron-microscopic
&monstration
of poly sacchari&s in fine sections). J. Microscopic 6:987-1018,
1967.
Mulliken R S. Quelqcces aspects de la theories &s orbitales molecctlawes (0s
some aspects of the molecular orbital theory).
J. Chim. Phys. 46:497-542,
1949.
Novikoff A B & W-Yrsng
Shin. Tfsc cndoplasmic reticulum in the Golgi
zone and its relations to microbcsdies, Golgi apparatus and autophagic
vacuoles m rat liver cells, J. Aficroscopit- 3:187-206, 1964.
Rosaet R, Monier R & Jsdien J. Les ribosomes d’Esclrcrichirs coli. 1. Mlse en
evidence d’un RNA ribosomique de faible oi& moleculalre (Rlbosomes of
E. coli. 1. Demonstration of a rlbosomal o f low molecular weight).
B. Sot. Chim. Biol. 46:87.109,
1964.
Sussman R & Jacob F. Sur un systeme de repression thermosensible chez Ie
bacteriophage ~ d’Escherichia coli (On a system of heat-scnsmive repression In the lambda bacteriophage of E. coli).
C. Rend Acad. Sci. 254:1517-1519.
1962.
Gabe M. Sur quelqucs applications de la coloration par Ii fuchslneparal&hyde--improved
Gomori’s al&hyde-fuchsin
(0ss some applications of
the fuchsin-paral&hyde
stain-lmprovcd
Gomoroi’s al&hyde-fuchsin).
B. Micr. AppL 3:152-162, 1953.
Lejeucte J, Gautier M & Turpin R. Erudc des chromosomes somatiques de
neuf enfants mongollens (Study of somatic chromosomes in nine cases
1959.
of mongczlism). C. Rend. ,4cad. Sci. 248:1721-1722,
Cohen G N & Rickenbg
H V. Conccntrauon s ecifique reversible dcs amino
acides chcz Escherichia ccdi (Spcc Ifsc reversl[ Ie concentration of amino
acid.v in E. ccdi). .4rsrr.Inst. Pasteur 91:693-720,
1956.
Gabriel P. Des categories Abelicrsnes ( AbelIan categories).
Bull. Sot. Math. France 90:323-448,
1962.
Rickenbcrg H V, Cohen G N, Buttin G & Monod J. La galactoslde-permease
d’Escherichi~ coli (Galactosi& permeasc in E. coli).
Ann. fnsf. Pasteur 91:829-857,
1956.
Dutrillaux B & Lejeune J. Sur une nouvelle technique d’analyae du cary type humaln (A new method for analysis of human karyotypcs).
C. Rend. Acad. Sci. 272,2638-2640,
1971.
Lejeusse J, Gauthier M & Turpin R. Les chromsssomes humains en culture de
tisaus (Human chromosomes in tissue cultures).
C. Rend Acad. Sci. 248:602-603,
1959.
Drach P. Mue ct cycle d’ intermue chez Ics crustaces &capo&s (Molting and
the inter-molting cycle in decapod crustaceans).
Ann. Inst. Ocearrogr. Monaco 19:103.391,
1939,
Ies publlshvri
literature
during
in French
the
perloci
lournals
that
were
1961.1975
93
cited
more
than
150 times
In the
Inter.
publish
In Engllsh
of a recent,
20%
But according
tnformal
of French
non-French
papers
tmper!allsm
wtent]sts
articles.
many
Indeed,
La RechercFre
partly
The
scientist
typtcal
greatly
But while
of them
the French
an Important
lacks the
published
m French,
He also
contents
Although
reported
cause
read
tn, only
of casual
dlsctpl!nes
The
to publish
The
as well
whether
tt causes
the qualky
and
Of a sample
covered
more
More
Comptes
Rendus,
Recently,
which
to take
be publlshed
the
Inst\tute
was Instrumental]
contents
pages
WIII be reflected
Whether
2
--------------
]ournal
Current
)
Narin
Indexing
ckatmn
Contents@)
26:80-93,
Garfield E. Cttatlon
there
No one
dentes
The
Nineteen
French
to their
refuse
(In
French
encouraged
language
proper
recognition
goal of
by artificial
I
1976,
publication
language
children,
French
grow
as a tool
Nafure
of the
lnternattonal
French
scientists
cannot
France
nor the
Engllsh
Neither
ever
suffer
for havtng
of a strong
recognized
277 f&9-71,
Iournals--what
p
and
In Journal
94
up to
to become
cadre
bl-llngual
they
1970
c!te
and
what
cites
them
5-10
cltatlon
comparisons.
/. Amer.
Sot,
1975
analysls
as
to speak
WIII continue
children
But In order
will
As long
continue
if their
because
In Engllsh,
scientists
science
French
not decllne
the development
of Internationally
declslon
WIII
fathers
members
to learn
English
Natmnal
and
community,
Information
4, 26 January
of
scientists
to achieve
publishing
scientists
sclentlflc
23
French
language
or any other
mothers
contributing
example,
edition
to
world
But that
language
to be spoken--even
remains
that
to the futtle
scientists
French
become
stucfles
No
French
Esperanto,
in 1974,
studytng
that
language,
be encouraged
the opportunity
the French
in
recognize
is a confusion
recognition.
of French
contents
for
published
as the
should
in France
sacrificed
might
means
journals
data
who
must
of English
Today
preserving
the
immediately
article
pr!orlt!es
!nternat!onal
to
all
those
tfre international
of science
have
we afford
practically
scientists
the adoption
language
or
can
language--can
IS no longer
should
depend
thfs sensible
F & Carpenter M P.
SCI
4.
using
in the cltatlon
Garfield E. C!tatlon
and
work
expensive
in the case of a
translations
a scientific
French
French
contents
for Scientlftc
to begin
1.
Engllsh
M being
a declslon
journals
of cover-to-cover
understand
will
lust one
outstanding
Only
other
abstracts
reached
alone
language
prohibitively
multilmguality.
prefer some
should
Index
in an English
the editors
it has become
the world,
or
not
sclent!fic
readers--even
in Enghsh
Engllsh
Engllsh
is but
of
quality.
mternatlonal
prospective
of the contr{butlons
Engllsh-French
some
and
Chemie
But translation
up for poor
Throughout
scientific
will
108 dld
cooperation
to
requests,
Citation
sfgnlflcant,
a mixed
and 7 used
should
pages
a separate
of English
of this ty~
can
to be
their
pages
reprint
relevance
publication
Russtan
for the
of Angewandte
example
make
true
luxury
scientists
lournals
citations
by the Science
conta!ned
page,
more
few
exposure
of 267 French-language
133 did contafn
page
But
between
of summaries
contents
cause
seems
to read
as contents
joint
be done
English
are
scientst
the world
all French
use of English
undoubtedly
they
of French
denies
the publication
abstracts
editions
of many
same
be well
the
or
motivation
of ideas
Insistence
least,
The
is
contributions
at first
the oppatunky
casually
At the very
French?
German
to scan a
yet this casual
spread
}n French
community
require
And
to the
translation
The
less what
English-speaking
interest
is essential
lf we can )ust!fy
But he
language
which
might
all,
of
a pub-
partially
the
maintain
the strongest
such
be at least
can’t
not
that
subscribers,
:over-to-cover
will
Russian,
what
I suspect
to
translation
could
After
international
no
by foreign
Dne successful
he
Engllsh
Iournals,
all pertinent
significant
article
which
struggle
the facility
no matter
a French
with
page.
the typical
Ilcatlon,
research
much
German,
lacks
genuinely
be cited
to read
in Enghsh,
Japanese
will
will
contribution.
time
published
French
in the
most
Rencfus.
received
language
to France,
Comptes
that
the opportunity
a cover-to-cover
wbsldized
their
to struggle
visit
struggle
through
read
or Brittsh
environment--although
probably
regularly
to exercise
be content
this
French
in order
on a holiday
afford
prevents
I am surprised
has yet setzed
publlsh
reading
Amertcan
However,
>ubl!sher
In
that
from
admtres
he may
his French
articles
about
lournals
It IS not Ifnguistlc
cannot
only
are publtshed
Engl!sh-speaking
French
m seen
to the results
ISI survey,
evaluation
Science
178471-79,
1972
Inform.
Essays of an Information Scientist, Vol:3, p.88-94 1977-78
Current Contents, #15, p.5-10, April 11, 1977
CXJRF?EENTCOMMENTS
Le
Nouveau
LEfi
Am&-icain.
1.
Click here -- "Is French Science too Provincial?" L:a Recherche,
7(757-60) 1976
~,NuMBER
In 1967
the
Scrvan-Schreiber
Frenchman
citi-
Recbercbe
1
zens by publishing Le D;ji Amkncain,
In the past decade the book’s title has
become a catch-phrase
for all sorts of
challenges. 1 did not realize until recently the extent to which SetvanSchreiber stressed the importance of the
information industry, but in a recent rereading of the book’s English translation
1 came upon this startling conclusion:
‘‘The new frontiers of human creativity
in every area lie in information systems
and their utilization, and the Americans
themselves do not seem fully to realize
this yet. We [presumably
the French]
must forge ahead into this area before it
is taken over by others.”2
This assertion is ironic in light of the
recent cau.re cifibre in which 1 have been
involved. For lack of a better description,
1 have called it ‘‘Le Noveau Defi Amerilain “; modesty
forbids
my naming
it the
since I have
already named both a Iawj and a con.
stant~ after myself.
‘ ‘Gafleld
Challenge,
1. Servan-Schreiber
2. --— —--—–--––.
”
J J. Le d<fi
arn~n”caim Editions
The American
11,1977
Last fall 1 published an article in Ltz
entitled ‘‘1s French Science
Too Provincial?”;
I said what I had to
say about the French in French, but the
English translation is reprinred on the
following pages,
The reaction to this article has been
intense. As Barbara Burke of the Wa~6
itrgtorz Po~t reported from Paris just a
few weeks ago, “French Scientists Resent
Dominance of English” !6 One French
scientist has denounced
the article as
‘‘pernicious”;
another accused me of
“linguistic
imperialism”;
and still another claimed that my article ‘‘questions
the existence of a civil ization . ...” It
seems that 1 have hit a raw nerve.
Readers of h Recherche have had
their chance to reply to the ‘“New
American Challenge, ” and have certainly taken advai%ge
of it--as 1’11
demonstrate at length in this space next
week, In the following pages you can examine for yourself the original source of
their outrage.
Jean-Jacques
his fellow
jolted
15, APRIL
challenge
Denoel,
1967.
New York: Atheneum,
1969.
3. Garfield E. The mystery of the transposed journal lists--wherein Bradford’s law
of scattering
is generalized according to Garfield’s law of ccmcentration.
Current Corctefcf@ No. 31, 4 August 1971, p. 5-6.
4. –-—-.
1s the ratio between number of citations and publications
consrant? Current Contents No. 6, 9 February 1976, p. 5-7.
cited a true
5. –-———.
La science fran~aise est-elle trop. provincial?
La Recherche
.
7:757-60, 1976.
of English.
Washington
6. Burke B. French scientists resent dominance
1977,
p, E6.
20 March
Po5t
"Is French Science Too Provincial?" La
Recherche, 7:757-60, 1976.
88