| Sci-Tech Periodical, as one of document types, has come into being and developed rapidly in modern times. Journal of Agriculture and Forestry higher learning is one of the most important agricultural Sci-Tech literature types at home. The study of "Journal of Northwest Sci-tech University of Agriculture and Forestry (Natural Science Edition)" (here after refers to as "Journal"), the earliest comprehensive agricultural science academic periodical originated in the northwest of our country helps to understand the development of agricultural scientific research in the northwest region and our university, to strengthen the status and function of the "Journal" to agricultural science research in the west region, and even in the whole country. By using the theories and methods in the study of History, Editing, Literature metrology and statistical analysis of Excel, this paper aims to conduct a research into the historical evolution, disciplines of source article, author group and citing work of "Journal", analyze the relations between the disciplines of source article of "Journal" and the development of our university's research fields, and give an overall evaluation of "Journal" among that of national agriculture universities and all national periodicals in order to provide the basis of policy-making for the further development and internalization of "Journal" and adaptation to planning construction of our school.The research shows that, the "Journal" was originated from "Northwestern Journal of Agriculture" (1936～1947), with the first publication in July, 1936, founded by the "Northwest Agriculture and Forestry Training Academy". Later in it 70 years, the Journal's publication has been sequentially renamed as "Journal of Northwest Agriculture" (1946～1948), "Journal of the NorthwestAgriculture Academy" (1956-1960, 1978-1085), "Journal of the Northwest "Agriculture University" (1986-2000) and " Journal of Northwest Sci-tech university of Agriculture and forestry (Natural Science Edition)" (2001~). During its development, it went through several times of establishment, suspension and resume publication. However, on the whole it obviously includes4 stages: founding, establishing and developing, stabilizing, maturing and internationalizing. Gradually, the "Journal" has become domestic core journal of natural science, national comprehensive agricultural science and agriculture and forestry of China's scientific cited data base. Besides, it has been cited and stored by 20 authoritative data base or literature digests periodical at home and abroad.The paper research of "Journal" shows that, "Journal" altogether published5 volumes covering 18 issues before liberation, including 57 articles of 2 volumes 5 issues of" Northwestern Journal of Agriculture ", 124 of 3 volumes 13 issues of" Journal of Northwest Agriculture " respectively;From 1956 to the end of 2004, "Journal" altogether published 3,737 papers of 32 volumes 169 issues. According to the research of discipline classification of all papers, the disciplines which articles covered have been enlarged from 4 kinds before liberation to 28 of " Journal of Northwest Agriculture University ", and finally to 20 of Journal of Northwest Sci-tech University of Agriculture and Forestry {Natural science Edition). Agricultural science academic papers dominate "Journal" publications, which is in accordance with its title. Among 3,918 papers of "Journal" from 1936 to 2004, there are 2,695 of agricultural science academic works, covering 68.79% and ranking the first in amount and the main body of "Journal", 306 biological science articles occupies 7.81% of the total paper, which has been developed with the highest speed in recent years;189 of economic series, covering 4.82% and ranking third, 127 of light industry and handicraft industry series, covering 3.24% and ranking 4th. Along with the increasing number of the papers, the proportion of agricultural science academic paper, from "Northwest Farming and forestry" to "Northwest Farming and forestry Scientific and technical university (Natural sciences Version)", hasdropped from 91.23% to 77.42%, then to 76.16%, and finally to 69.54%. meanwhile, the number of paper of some other disciplines such as biological science, food science, mathematical statistics and chemistry, computer science has been increasing with the development of discipline differentiation, interdisciplinary studies and the appearance and application of edge discipline and new technology, by which it has manifested the development in research at our school.The research findings of the fund paper published by "Journal" suggest that the first paper in 1986 when research fund project was established in our country. The amount of fund paper has been going up year by year, amounting to 84.02% by 2004. From 1986 to 2004 altogether 3,284 articles have been published in "Journal", among which 1,884 have been funded, accounting for 57.37%. 1,741 articles of that have won fund support above the provincial or ministerial level. There are totally 446 kinds of fund programs involved in paper-funding. Specifically, 509 articles have been funded by N.N.F.C.C., 283 by Shaanxi Province, 246 by Ministry of Science and Technology, 175 by Ministry of Agriculture, 83 by Ministry of Education, and 33 by Chinese Academy of Sciences. All these programs have exercised a great and positive influence in improving the quality of the articles.The statistical analysis of the author group indicates that from 1956 to 2004 there are 11,984 people involved in "Journal" paper writing with the total amount of 3,737 research papers and evenly each paper has 3.207 writers. From 1998 to 2004 the authors of 1,831 papers published in "Journal" are from 27 provinces, cities and autonomous regions except Hainan Province, Tibet, Inner Mongolian and Guangxi province, in which the northwest region is the main source of papers and 1,597 papers are from the five provinces (shaanxi, xingjiang, qinghai, gansu and ningxia) there which cover 87.22% of the total. The majority is from Shaanxi province, amounting to 1,558 and covering 85.09%, among which 1374 are from this university, covering 75.04% of the total paper number (1,831). That accords with school's regional features, the basic tenets and discipline area of the "Journal", and indicates that these paperscould sufficiently display the level and present situation of agricultural scientific research in the school and even the whole northwest region. Among 3,737 papers published in "Journal" from 1956 to 2004, the majority are co-authored by 3 people, next are co-authored by 2 and 4 people. Altogether 3,084 papers are co-authored by 2 to 6 people, occupying 82.53%. According to the research into age structure of the first author of 1,831 papers from 1998 to 2004, there are 930 people under 35 years old, accounting for 50.79%, 647 people between 36 and 45, accounting for 35.34%, 184 people in 46-55, accounts for 10.49%, 70 people over 56, accounting for 3.82%. Obviously, it proves that the authors are tending to be younger in average age. According to the research into the titles of the technical post of the first author of 1,831 papers from 1998 to 2004, 791 people have high title (covering 43.20%), among which the associate professors cover 33.48%;616 people have intermediate title (covering 33.64%);59 people have the primary title (only covering 3.22%). From this we can see it is researchers with the intermediate and senior title that is a mainstay of scientific research work. Through the analysis of the authors' educational backgrounds of each issue, we can see that the number of papers written by the graduates and above remains stable. Based on the Pyrse formula and the statistic analysis, there are 59 core authors who have 7 or above papers published in "Journal" since the first issue, and they are from 12 colleges (except the college Forestry, Foreign Lauguage, Information Engineering and Adults Education) of NWSUAF,there have 18,8,8,7core authors in the Colleges of Plant Protection, Animal science, Life science and Environment and Resources. It shows our broad discipline distribution and research area, and there have been scientific research masters and head teachers in each institute. Meanwhile, it displays an unbalanced development between various disciplines.The analysis of the cited reference of the papers in "Journal" shows that there are 33,650 involved in the total amount of 3,737 research papers from 1956 to 2004, in which there are 20,372 Chinese citing items and 13,278 foreign language ones respectively. Averagely, there are 9.00 items cited per paper, and 5 in 391 papers which rank first in quantity. There are, in a paper, 93 items atmost and 1 at least. Altogether there are 2,797 papers cover the highest frequency of citing items with 3～12, occupying 79.64%. Comparatively speaking, on the whole there is a gap between the authors of "Journal" and that of other domestic key issues in the absorption and the application of foreign language literature and they need to further enhance their abilities in acquiring foreign language proficiency and means in quoting foreign language literature.This overall evaluation of "Journal" tells us that, compared with Journals and periodicals of other higher learning of agriculture and forestry, its frequency of being cited and its influence have been on the top of the list and tend to go up yearly, which affirm the rationality of "Journal" as one of the key issues in comprehensive academic periodicals of agricultural sciences in China, in accordance with its status of being a National Core Periodical the 4th time successively.To conclude, I here put forward seven constructive strategies in order to promote the further growth and prosperity of "Journal": (1) to affirm its primary orientation and to make its unique feature prominent in light of the concept of education of the school;(2) to strengthen the quality control of the academic paper and improve its academic level;(3) to set aim at foreland in the academic researching fields and absorb the important research findings;(4) to optimize publishing system and;(5) to rationally absorb the quality papers of other schools;(6) to strengthen its influence make access to more overseas searching system;(7) to build up more communication with the department in charge for more support in policy-making. |
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