ScienceMediaWatch Richard Masters
Aug 03, 2015
MethodRandomly selected issue of
Nature (Nature 436, 504-509 (28 July 2005)
Use W.o.K and PubMed to look at all citing articles
Document and analyse all findings focussing on bias and media coverage
Evidence for magmatic evolution and diversity on Mars from infrared observations
P. R. Christensen1, H. Y. McSween, Jr2, J. L. Bandfield1, S. W. Ruff1, A. D. Rogers1, V. E. Hamilton3, N. Gorelick1, M. B. Wyatt1, B. M. Jakosky4, H. H. Kieffer5, M. C. Malin6 & J. E. Moersch2
Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, USA
University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA US Geological Survey, Emeritus, Carson City, Nevada 89703, USA Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, California 92191, USA
Abstract Compositional mapping of Mars at the 100-metre scale with the
Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) has revealed a wide diversity of igneous materials. Volcanic evolution produced compositions from low-silica basalts to high-silica dacite in the Syrtis Major caldera. The existence of dacite demonstrates that highly evolved lavas have been produced, at least locally, by magma evolution through fractional crystallization. Olivine basalts are observed on crater floors and in layers exposed in canyon walls up to 4.5 km beneath the surface. This vertical distribution suggests that olivine-rich lavas were emplaced at various times throughout the formation of the upper crust, with their growing inventory suggesting that such ultramafic (picritic) basalts may be relatively common. Quartz-bearing granitoid rocks have also been discovered, demonstrating that extreme differentiation has occurred. These observations show that the martian crust, while dominated by basalt, contains a diversity of igneous materials whose range in composition from picritic basalts to granitoids rivals that found on the Earth.
Goals: Bias
Assess each citing article for the following biases: A - any one of the listed authors (who
wrote the original paper). B - any authors from the same research
institution C - any authors known to be or have
been associated with the authors of the paper (Search for all original article author names in citing authors paper history).
What else to look for What kind of article has cited the
original?Where was the citing article
published…Peer-reviewed journal?What is the journal’s impact
factor?Did the citing article get any
press coverage?
Pre
limin
ary
Findin
gs
3%12%
21%
41%6%3%
6%3%
3%
3%
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
Planetary and Space Science
Icarus
Journal of Geophysical Research- Planets
Science
Lithos
Astrobiology
Geophysical Research Letters
Geomorphology
Sensors
Publications of the Astronomical Society of The Pacific
Citation Type
3.14
Preliminary FindingsHighest Impact Factor: Science
29.747Lowest Impact Factor: Sensors
1.821Impact Factors hovered around 3.
Specialist nature of research All journals were peer reviewedNo NPG
Bias Analysis AOf the 14 Type A bias 8 were due to P.R.
Chritensen Member of the THEMIS team (NASA
satellites to study energy releases from Earth's magnetosphere)
Worked with Mars Student Imaging Project for the all of studies using images of mars
Any paper I looked at which used THEMIS imaging has P.R. Christensen as an author
Bias Analysis CMars Reconnaissance Orbiter's
High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE)
Eliason EM (Eliason, Eric M.) worked with H.Y. McSween
Evidences for a Noachian-Hesperian orogeny in Mars
2006
Media coverageHigher the impact factor= more results +
increased chance of media coverage Due to the nature of citing articles,
(geology of mars). Press coverage was limited to journal PR, esoteric
One instance of media coverage=Science Exception of ‘water on mars’ type stories
resulting from “Detection of Hydrated Silicates in Crustal Outcrops in the Northern Plains of Mars” (no citation bias)