Portfolios and landscapes of avian influenza research: new tools to inform policymaking

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19th International Conference on Science and Technology Indicators

Leiden, September 3-5, 2014

Portfolios and landscapes of avian influenza research: new tools to inform policymaking

Matthew L. Wallace · INGENIO (CSIC-UPV)Ismael Rafols · INGENIO (CSIC-UPV) · SPRU (University of Sussex)

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What tools and analyses can help allocate resources to a complex societal challenge such as avian influenza?

1. Context (research agenda): research portfolios as a science policy tool

2. Case study: avian influenza as a “societal challenge”

3. What can and can’t we learn about avian flu landscape and funding from bibliometrics?

OUTLINE

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The drivers for portfolio-level analysis

• Problem: perceived mismatch between research and desired outcomes

• Respond to current policy demands in grand societal challenges• Tackling large-scale, multi-stakeholder issues

• Transparency, accountability, cost-effectiveness, etc.

• Seeking out alternative research avenues spawning new solutions.

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Examples of current portfolio practices

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Moving beyond rhetoric and financial analogiesOther science policy literature can point to some promising pathways…

• Consider a broad range of outcomes and pathways for achieving them– From risk to uncertainty

• Think about how to link policy pull and science push– E.g., public-value mapping

• Take a systems approach to sets of research project– Look for “positive interactions” between projectsWhat might this look like?

(and can bibliometrics help?)

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Overview of avian flu as a case study

The Independent, June 11, 2014

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From public health governance to research: is there a mismatch?

Global governance / narratives of

control- Veterinary- Pandemic

preparedness- Public health

Science policy priorities

Portfolio design or evaluation?

Research enterprise

Collaboration? Coordination?

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Global governance / narratives of

control- Veterinary- Pandemic

preparedness- Public health

Science policy priorities

Portfolio design or evaluation?

Research enterprise

Collaboration? Coordination?

Editorial topics of top journals: vaccine and

treatment, “dual-use”, control, characterization of

disease, pandemic risk

In-depth, in-person interviews with 15

policymakers, scientists and stakeholders across

Europe

From public health governance to research: is there a mismatch?

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Global governance / narratives of

control- Veterinary- Pandemic

preparedness- Public health

Science policy priorities

Portfolio design or evaluation?

Research enterprise

Collaboration? Coordination?

Editorials topics of top journals: vaccine and treatment, “dual-use”

control, characterization of disease, pandemic risk

In-depth, in-person interviews with 15

policymakers, scientists and stakeholders across

Europe

Mapping the

research landscape

and research portfolios

From public health governance to research: is there a mismatch?

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Bibliometric data and methods

Combine Medical Subject Headings

(Medline)

Web of Knowledge database

Databases of Avian influenza and Influenza A

publications

Mapping and clustering

techniques (co-citation, co-term)

Other funding data on avian

flu and Influenza A

Overlays and cluster analysis

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Avian flu publications and funding

Avian influenza funding by main funding agencies ($M)

Influenza A funding by main funding agencies ($M)

Source: Über Research Data

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The research landscape at different scales (co-term)

Influenza A, 2004-2013

Avian influenza, 2004-2013

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Characterizing the overall landscape

HUMAN

ANIMAL

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Characterizing the overall landscape

BASIC

CLINICAL

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Characterizing the overall landscape

FIELD-BASED

LAB-BASED

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• Journals (and sub-disciplines) cut across clusters• Keywords are often ambiguous• Some scale/granularity dependency (of clusters and

overall landscape)

But we need clarity to understand / inform the allocation of resources!!

Characterizing clusters and research options

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Landscape as a continuum“Vaccine/vaccination” as a keyword in abstracts

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Veterinary science as a WoS subject categoryLandscape as a continuum

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Virology as a WoS subject categoryLandscape as a continuum

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Virology as a MeSH qualifierLandscape as a continuum

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Overlays from funding data in WoS

Canadian Institutes for Health Research(Influenza A, 2010-12)

GlaxoSmithKline(Influenza A, 2010-12)

Welcome Trust(Influenza A, 2010-12)

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Overlays from funding application data (ÜberResearch)

Canadian Institutes for Health Research(Influenza A, 2003-13)

Welcome Trust(Influenza A, 2003-13)

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• Cannot be described according to disciplinary lines

• We can tentatively identify the dominant lines of research: epidemiology, molecular biology, immunology, vaccine development

• We can see where connections lie (overall and within portfolios): e.g., very few connections between epidemiology and virology (lab-based)

• Public funders generally tend to diversify their portfolios, but overall objectives (“problems”) are not reflected

• We can identify gaps according to influenza research overall

What does this tell us about avian flu?

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• Portfolios lens has the potential to help tackle complex societal problems: a way to move beyond “excellence”

• Mapping and clustering of bibliometric data can be useful, but cannot produce “one-dimensional”, prescriptive description

• Co-word overlays present data/technical difficulties, but are good means to visualize research and especially to elicit opinions

CONCLUSION

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THANK YOU

INGENIO [CSIC-UPV] Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación | Edif 8E 4º Camino de Vera s/n 46022 Valencia

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