Scientometric portrait of T. S. West

Abstract

T. S. West, the internationally well known analytical chemist has been widely recognised as a very successful scientist. His research productivity and collaboration pattern were analysed by years, papers, authorships, and authorwise productivity. The channels of communications used and distribution of articles among channels were found out. He has 410 papers to his credit. The period 1969–70 when he was 42–43 years age was most productive with 41 papers in 1969 and seven single authorship papers in 1970. Quienquennial collaboration coefficients ranged between 0.57 to 1.00, clearly indicating high collaboration team spirit in his research group. His productivity coefficient was 0.45 indicating rapid publication activity during early period of research career. His most prominent collaborators in number of papers were: R. M. Dagnall (92), G. F. Kirkbright (77), R. Belcher (56), K. C. Thompson (19), J. D. Norris (13), and J. F. Alder (11). Top ranking journals, with papers, to which he had contributed were:Anal. Chim. Acta (106),Talanta (84),The Analyst (49),Anal. Chem. (23), andJ. Chem. Soc. (20). Publication density was 8.54, publication concentration was 6.25, and average Bradford multiplier was 3.9. High frequency keywords in the titles of the articles were: Atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (51), Atomic absorption spectroscopy (43), and Atomic absorption spectrometry (31). The results indicate his temporal publication productivity and the nature of the research activities were such that he is eminently qualified to be taken as a ‘role model’ for the younger generation to emulate.