PUBLICATION ACTIVITY OF KAZAKHSTANI HISTORIANS AT THE PRESENT STAGE ON THE WEB OF SCIENCE, SCOPUS DATABASES, THE RSCI CORE
Abstract and keywords
Abstract (English):
The most important criteria for assessing a scientist's activity are indicators of his publication activity, the total number of publications, their citation rate and the Hirsch index. The dynamics of the growth in the number of publications in all branches of science, including history, requires high-quality analytical testing. At present, problems of thematization and statistical processing of data on scientific publications can be solved by carrying out scientometric (bibliometric) studies. This article was prepared in the process of the implementation of the scientific project "Development of a scientifically grounded concept of the formation of modern historical science in Kazakhstan."

Keywords:
scientific project, scientific analysis, publication, activity, article, scientometrics, bibliometrics, research, systematization, citation, Hirsch index, etc
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In the international scientific community, one of the tools for assessing and analyzing the effectiveness of a scientist and a research group is indicators of publication activity in authoritative databases, for example, in the Web of Science, Scopus. Today, even those skeptical about publications in leading databases understand that one can hardly declare oneself as a scientist without articles in reputable scientific journals. In addition, work with such information resources makes it possible to significantly speed up the search for scientific literature in a certain direction, determine the circle of the most significant authors, expand contacts, and enter into collaboration at the stage of research planning.

In this regard, in our opinion, the conclusions containing in the article of the President of the National Center for Scientific and Technical Expertise, Honored Worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan A.Zh. Ibraev "Kazakhstan science and modern tools of scientometrics" [1]. According to the author, in the current conditions, the issues of assessing and measuring the quality of scientific work of both one scientist and scientific teams and the country as a whole, are actualized.

According to In Cites, the number of Kazakhstani publications for the period from 2015 to 2019 amounted to 14852 units, or 0.10% of the amount of publications in the Web of Science Core Collection (15 488 645 units). This position corresponds to the 75th place in the ranking of 214 countries. If we take for comparison the countries of the EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union), then the picture follows: the share of Russian scientific publications during this period was 2.5% (15th in the rating), Belarus - 0.07% (81st), Armenia - 0.04% (96th place), Kyrgyzstan - 0.01% (138th place). At the same time, the indicator of the normalized average citation of Kazakhstan publications is 0.83 relative to the world average of one, which corresponds to the 183rd position in the rank of normalized average citation from 214 countries. [1]  

Total for 2015-2019 more than 56% of articles of authors with Kazakh affiliation were published in journals included in quartiles Q1 and Q2. During the same period, every fifth Kazakh publication was published in a journal with a quartile Q3 and approximately every fourth scientific publication in a publication with a quartile Q4. To understand the current picture of the publication of Kazakhstan works in journals with different levels of scientific influence, let us compare it to the global one, where articles in publications with the first two quartiles during this period amounted to 72.5%. And in the Q4 quartile, an eighth of the total amount of the Web of Science Core Collection database is published.

At the same time, the volume of Kazakhstan publications in such fields of science as medicine, biological and agricultural sciences is 24%, while in the global structure the segment of scientific publications in these areas reaches 52%. The share of social sciences, including history, in the global structure of publications is traditionally lower and amounts to 11%, which corresponds to the Kazakhstan indicator. [1]

For data analysis in scientometrics, there are several key indicators, one of which is the citation index of the scientist, the citation index of the journal, and the self-citation index, which are widely used in the scientific world to evaluate the work of researchers and their collectives.

Citation is the number of references for a scientific work. At the same time, it is generally accepted that article references are a means of scientific communication, they allow one to obtain information about the problem and trace the course of development of a given scientific research. According to researchers, the most visible process of scientific communication is presented in journal publications. The scientific article has no value, if it has not been read, used or quoted. At the present stage of the formation and development of science, articles published in international scientific journals with a high citation index are highly valued [2].The prerogative of historical science is the development of the concept of the formation of historical consciousness. In the early 90s of the last century, the process of revising the methodological foundations of historical research in Kazakhstan began. So, in the journal "Modern higher school: innovative aspect" n.3 (Chelyabinsk) in 2011 in an article published by Professor E.A. Abil "Theoretical aspects of the study of the history of Kazakhstan XIX century" analysis of problems of theoretical understanding of historical processes on the territory of Kazakhstan and the development of promising areas of historical research is made. According to the author, the first decade of the development of the historical science of Kazakhstan passed under the influence of two main trends - the euphoria of the disclosure of "white spots" of history, associated mainly with various episodes of the Soviet period, on the one hand, and the dominance of the classical scientistic paradigm of scientific thinking in the form of historical materialism [6].

In 2000, academician M.K. Kozybayev noted that Kazakhstan historians “need to give a broad perspective to sources of research, master advanced technologies in cliometric research, and give impetus to more intensive development in methodological innovations” [7]. The above information is considered at the level of the historical community, not reaching discussion among the general public. [4]

As shown by the scientometric analysis of the works of scientists, a number of works by doctors of historical and political sciences, as well as candidates of sciences representing the Institute of State History of the KN MES RK, enjoy the highest citation rate. These include, in particular, the scientific works of the director of the Institute of State History of the KN MES RK, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor E.A. Abil, published in foreign and domestic publications.

Take, for example, the article by E.A. Abil Problems and trends of modern historical knowledge in Kazakhstan " published in 2012 in the first publication of the journal "Modern Higher School: an innovative aspect" (Chelyabinsk). Take, for example, the article by E.A. Abil "Problems and trends of modern historical knowledge in Kazakhstan" published in 2012 in the first issue of the journal "Modern Higher School: an innovative aspect" (Chelyabinsk). The article examines the problems of the current state of historical knowledge in the Republic of Kazakhstan, associated with the methodological crisis, the search for national identity, the role of historical knowledge in the formation of a sovereign state. The main trends in the development of historical science in Kazakhstan in the context of global processes are outlined. According to the author of the article, one of the basic principles of historical science should be the rejection of the politicization of history, the involvement of historical research to solve contemporary political problems.

Historical consciousness is a part of ethnic self-consciousness, therefore any ill-considered (especially conscious) use of historical science to realize someone's political ambitions is futile and shortsighted. So, E.A. Abil does not agree with the opinion of the Russian researcher V. Puzanov, who asserts that the modern territories of the Kostanay and North Kazakhstan regions were previously developed by the Russians, and not by the Kazakhs, who, “having migrated to the borders of Russia, drove the Volga Kalmyks, and in the Trans-Urals the Bashkir and Russian commercial population with upper reaches of Tobol and Ishim, from Uya. Therefore, the border Russian-Kazakh conflict in the Trans-Urals over the territories of the Ishim cannot be explained by the notorious "colonial policy of tsarism", if only because the Russians mastered them first. " Is it so? Of course, this is what the author says. But V. Puzanov does not take into account that before the Kalmyks, the same Kazakhs and their kindred Nogais wandered in this territory. And before the Nogays, their ancestors were the Kypchaks. And before the Kypchaks - the Turkic-speaking Xiongnu and Ugrians, the ancestors of the Khanty, Mansi and Hungarians. And before them - the Iranian-speaking tribes - the ancestors of the Ossetians and Pamir Tajiks. In other words, if you wish, you can always find a suitable plot in the historical past to justify certain claims and ambitions. That is why history and modernity should be clearly distinguished. No events in the past can be used to make political decisions in the present [5].

Among the highly cited publications placed in the Moscow journal "History and Modern World Outlook" (2020. T. 2. No. 3. P. 54-61. DOI: 10.33693 / 2658-4654 / -2020-2-3-54-61) a special place is occupied by the article of the Deputy Director of the Institute of State History, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor B.G. Ayagan "Modernization of historical science in independent Kazakhstan." The article analyzes the development of historical science in Kazakhstan in the first years of independence. New approaches, achievements and shortcomings in the development of science, the activities of the main research centers and educational institutions, scientific discoveries that have expanded the horizons of history in Kazakhstan are presented. It is shown that in the post-Soviet period the historical science of Kazakhstan has gone through a difficult and ambiguous path of transformation. The nature of research has changed, which is expressed in methodological approaches and methods. In addition, historians were able to search for materials in the archives both within the country and abroad.

According to B.G. Ayagan, now 30 years after the collapse of the USSR, we can confidently state that this process of separation was quite difficult. It is no secret that some historians have embarked on the platform of nationalist rhetoric or have become heralds of purely egocentric political slogans in the demarcation and delimitation of borders, coverage of bloody interethnic conflicts from the past. Further, as the author writes, a new impetus to Kazakhstani historical science was given with the instruction of President K.K. Tokayev, from new positions to consider the role of Zolotaya Orda (the Golden Horde) in the history of Kazakhstan.

In addition, scientists have prepared and published collective monographs together with scientists from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The new research methodology was proposed by the First President of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev in the article "Looking into the future: modernization of public consciousness", published in April 2017. A team of historians, together with the Nazarbayev Foundation, the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, systematically hold large international scientific conferences. Since 2018, a joint group of scientists from Russia and Kazakhstan has been working on a systematic basis, where the most pressing issues are discussed, and collective monographs are being prepared for publication.

Summing up, the scientist notes, it can be emphasized that during the period that has passed since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan historical science has gone through a difficult path of renewal. Both the methodology and the research methods have changed. The search toolkit has expanded, the funds of many archives, including those from far abroad countries, have become available. New generation textbooks have been prepared and published. Monographs and books were introduced into scientific circulation, which reveal the "white spots" of national history. The scientific community of Kazakhstan managed to overcome localism and reject the ideas of xenophobia and nationalism [8].

The practical significance of the updated theoretical and methodological concept allowed the authors A.M. Auanasova, B.G. Ayagan a and E.K. Nurpeisov to prepare an article "The historical basis of the consolidation and the Kazakh society of the unity of the nation", which aroused the interest of the international scientific community. Published in the Bulletin of Tomsk State University (History. 2018. No. 52. Problems of general history UDC 323 (574) DOI: 10.17223 / 19988613/52/6) the article studies the history of the origin and development of polyethnicity and polyconfessionalism in Kazakhstan. The authors come to the conclusion that by the end of the twentieth century Kazakhstan has accumulated valuable experience in regulating interethnic relations, on the basis of mutual respect and tolerance, it has made it possible to consolidate society to solve complex socio-economic and political problems.

In their opinion, the history of Kazakhstan testifies to the fact that polyethnicity and polyconfessionalism did not hinder the development of social harmony. As it was in some post-Soviet republics, for example, in Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Moldavia, the Baltic states. Here, conflicts based on ethnic and confessional contradictions led to civilian warriors and human casualties. In some states, the lack of social harmony and unity in society is still fraught with the threat of armed clashes. Kazakhstan, having passed a long way from two-ethnic and two-confessional, and then multi-ethnic and poly-confessional development, has gained valuable experience in regulating these relations, which gradually grow from mutual tolerance into mutual respect [9].

For Kazakhstan, the main foreign partners in scientific research are Russia and the United States, which account for an average of 36% and 16% of the total volume of Kazakhstan publications in the Web of Science Core Collection. However, the highest rates of normalized citation, exceeding the world average values ​​by more than 7.5 times, were obtained by the publications of Kazakhstani scientists in collaboration with colleagues from Australia, Japan, South Korea and India in such fields of science as medicine and physics. In general, collaboration with foreign colleagues significantly increases the effectiveness of scientific research and, as a result, the prepared publications arouse considerable interest in the world scientific community and have a high citation rate. One of the important indicators of the effectiveness of scientific work is its inclusion in the number of highly cited publications, that is, included in the top 1% in terms of citation on a specific topic and year. Works with a high citation rate testify to the high quality of scientific research.

The share of highly cited publications in the total array of Kazakhstani documents published in the Web of Science Core Collection has a growing trend. Since 2015, this indicator has increased by more than 1.5 times and in 2019 amounted to 0.43%. In the areas of science, the largest number of highly cited publications falls on clinical medicine - 46.3%. Also, highly cited publications of Kazakhstan authors are observed in such fields of science as physics, materials science, space science, mathematics, plant growing and animal husbandry. Article-by-article analysis of highly cited Kazakhstan publications in the Web of Science Core Collection for the period from 2015 to 2019. shows that the vast majority of works were published in collaboration with foreign colleagues and were published in journals included in the first and second quartiles Q1 and Q2. Only 1% of highly cited publications in the Web of Science Core Collection included 63 works by Kazakhstani authors. Among them, there are 14 publications in the field of natural sciences, 7 in technical sciences, 3 in biology, 2 in agricultural sciences, 35 in medicine, and 2 in social sciences.

In the field of the humanities, an article by K. Akanov, representing the Institute of State History in collaboration with a scientist from Russia "Orenburg in the History of Integration of Kazakh Steppe in the Russian Imperia XVIII - beginning of XX century", received a noticeable response. These are just some examples of the representation of Kazakhstan scientists and scientific organizations in authoritative scientific publications [1].

The number of scientific publications of the Institute of State History in international rating journals and domestic publications related to the KKSON MES RK is growing every year. According to the Institute's Report, only for 2014-2016 they amounted to only: 178 (2014), 137 (2015), 121 (21.10.2016).). Including foreign rating publications: 15 (2014), 4 (2015), 2 (21.10.2016). During this period, the Institute of State History of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan by four scientific departments carried out 6 fundamental and 4 applied scientific projects, funded under the program 055 "Fundamental and Applied Scientific Research" [10].

Thus, modern scientometrics provides a useful tool, the basics of which should be mastered by the head of each scientific organization. However, to believe that publication and citation is the main goal of scientific work is certainly wrong. Rather, they can be considered as a stage of scientific research, confirming its high level and a working tool for the analysis and planning of scientific activities at the level of the organization, the field of science, state policy in the field of science development in general.

References

1. Ibraev A. "Kazakhstan science and modern tools of scientometrics." // [electronic resource]. Access mode: URL: https://www.ncste.kz/ru/ibraev-adil-zhunusovich (Date of request:10.09.2021)

2. Kabataeva B.S., Kabataeva R.S. Key indicators of citation in science. // Bulletin of KazNU. Series "Pedagogical Sciences". No. 2 (42). 2014.

3. Lamazhaa Ch.K. Historical science of Kazakhstan in a new light. // [electronic resource]. Access mode: URL: https://socionet.ru/publication.xml?h=spz:cyberleninka:19423:16567184 (Date of request:10.09.2021)

4. Mazhitov S.F. Protecting national interests. / / " Kazakhstanskaya Pravda", January 8, 2021

5. Abil E.A. Problems and trends of modern historical knowledge in Kazakhstan. // Journal " Modern Higher School: Innovative Aspect" (Chelyabinsk). - 2012 - No. 1. - P. 12.

6. Abil E.A. Theoretical aspects of studying the history of Kazakhstan in the XIX century // Journal "Modern higher school: innovative aspect" (Chelyabinsk), 2011 - № 3. - P. 13.

7. Kozybaev M.K. Kazakhstan at the turn of the century: reflections and searches: in two books. Book. 1. - Almaty Gylym, 2000. - P. 17.

8. Ayagan B.G. Modernization of historical science in independent Kazakhstan // History and modern worldview. - 2020. - T. 2. - No. 3. - P. 54-61. DOI: 10.33693 / 2658-4654 / -2020-2-3-54-61

9. Auanasova A.M., Ayagan B.G., Nurpeisov E.K. The historical basis for the consolidation of Kazakhstan society and the unity of the nation. // Bulletin of the Tomsk State University. - History series. - 2018. - No. 52. Problems of the World History UDC 323 (574) DOI: 10.17223 / 19988613/52/6

10. Report of the Institute of State History of the KN MES RK on the work for 2014-2016.

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