Abstract
This paper is based on theSource Book in Astronomy and Astrophysics 1900–1975 which is considered representative of the pioneer research work in the field. The distribution of important scientific achievements over a certain period, their distribution by subject area and sources, single or multiple authorship and age of techniques relevant to these areas are quantitatively examined. In some cases results are obtained as known from the analysis of the overall output of the sciences (including astronomy). As regards, however, the frequency of published important papers and the role of the latest technique pioneer achievements differ significantly from the total of scientific publications.
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References
M. HARWIT,Die Entdecker des Kosmos, Zürich-Berlin, 1983.
K. R. LANG, O. GINGERICH (Eds),A Source Book in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1900–1975, Cambridge/Mass. and London, England, Harvard University Press, 1979.
More detailed papers are published inDie Sterne (Leipzig), 60 (1985) 284 andNTM-Schriftenreihe (Leipzig), 22 (1985) 225.
Th. SCHMIDT-KAHLER, Die astronomische Forschung im Lichte der quantitativen Entwicklung der astronomischen Fachliterature und ihre Bewertung,Mitteilungen der Astronomischen Gesellschaft, Nr. 57, Hamburg, 1982, p. 9–23.
See Ref. 1 M. HARWIT,Die Entdecker des Kosmos, Zürich-Berlin, 1983, p. 32.
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Herrmann, D.B. Astronomy in the twentieth century. Scientometrics 9, 187–191 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02017241
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02017241