Thomson Reuters and ISTIC Announce Strategic Partnership to Jointly Launch China’s First Laboratory for Scientometrics Research

Beijing, CHINA – The Scientific business of Thomson Reuters, the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, announced its strategic partnership with the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (ISTIC) to establish the ISTIC-Thomson Reuters Joint Lab for Scientometrics Research. The deputy secretary-general of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr. Zheng Guoan, officiated at the opening ceremony of the joint laboratory.

The ISTIC-Thomson Reuters Joint Lab for Scientometrics Research is located within ISTIC. Both organisations will jointly manage the laboratory and work together to accelerate the scientometrics research in China. They will collaborate on research projects and engage in studies of research performance evaluation and science policy support areas. Both the theoretical research and applied study in the field of scientometrics will be conducted in the joint lab. The jointly funded laboratory will provide a platform for China’s scientometrics research community to enhance scholarly communication and research collaboration, and provide them with a wealth of scientific literature resources and data analysis tools. The establishment of a joint scientometrics research laboratory will greatly promote the development of China’s scientometrics research and applications.

Established in 1956, ISTIC is China’s national research institution of scientific and technical information, which provides critical and important information to support the Ministry of Science & Technology’s national strategy and decision-making for developing China’s science and technology. ISTIC and the Scientific business have been collaborating for a long time on the use of Thomson Reuters’ Science Citation Index (SCI) data and Derwent World Patents Index data(DWPI) for analysis of China’s output and performance on the basis of science and technology research and development.

The chief director of ISTIC, Mr. He Defang, said “Leveraging on an excellent quality database and highly effective information analysis tools can greatly enhance the strategic decision-making capability of information professionals in China. By setting up a joint laboratory with the Scientific business, we aim to further promote the objective quantitative information research for science policy and decision making, and to promote China’s scientometrics development. We want to provide the resources to enrich the expertise of information institutes and professionals in our country and create opportunities for cooperation and exchange with the international academic community. The joint laboratory therefore provides an important platform for nurturing innovative achievement.”

The ISTIC-Thomson Reuters Joint Lab for Scientometrics Research will focus on fostering and strengthening China’s academic exchange with the international scientometrics community and organise regular international seminars to which internationally renowned scientometricians and experts will be invited. The Chief Scientist of the Scientific business of Thomson Reuters, and ex-president of the International Society for Scientometrics and Informetrics(ISSI), Dr. Henry Small, is a founding member of the laboratory.

Commented senior director and head of China regional business unit, Dr. David Liu, “As the leading global provider of intelligent information for professionals and businesses, we are committed to supporting scientific discovery and innovation. We have always valued our collaboration and joint initiatives with the government and enterprises to support the local research communities and are pleased to provide China’s scientific innovation community with the world-class intelligent information solutions and tools for professionals. Today’s launch of our joint laboratory will provide a bridge for international exchange and collaboration between Chinese and international academics and lead to more world-class academic research.”

The Scientific business of Thomson Reuters provides information and knowledge to accelerate research, discovery and innovation. Their authoritative, accurate and timely information is essential for pharmaceutical companies to discover new drugs and get them to market faster; researchers to find relevant papers and know what’s newly published in their subject; and businesses to optimize their intellectual property and find competitive intelligence. They create the research platforms and services of the future that will power our customers toward business and personal success. Scientific information solutions can be found at scientific.thomsonreuters.com

For the full Chinese release, please visit http://www.thomsonscientific.com.cn/news/news2008/news2008_34.html

About the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China Established in October 1956, ISTIC is China’s Ministry of Science and Technology’s public information technology and research institute primarily responsible for providing the ministry and public institutes with critical decision-making support and comprehensive scientific research information and services. ISTIC strongly believes in the importance of international cooperation and has actively participated in UNESCO’s Information for All Program (IFAP), the International Federation of Information Documents (FIO) and other international organizations. ISTIC has also established strong business cooperation with research information agencies in the United States, Canada and Japan, and over 30 countries and regions. For more information, visit http://www.istic.ac.cn

About Thomson Reuters
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