January 1, 2015

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The Papers Most Discussed in 2014

Scientists and the public differ in the research they find most interesting

By Mark Fischetti

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Numerous research papers are published every day worldwide. But which ones are most discussed by scientists and the public? Altmetric LLC in London tracks this question by charting how many times papers are noted in 14 online channels, ranging from a set of 5,000 research blogs to Facebook. (Scientific American is part of Macmillan, which is an investor in Altmetric.) Data for 2014 indicates there is a divide: the papers discussed most in academic channels (bluish circles) are different than those discussed most on social networks (red, orange and yellow circles).

To see the top papers in a given channel, such as Twitter, click on one or more of the horizontal bars below, at left. You can see the name and score of each paper by rolling over a circle with your mouse. For a key to all the particulars, select the line that reads “click here to show/hide key.”

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Interactive by Jan Willem Tulp; Source: Altmetric

Mark Fischetti was a senior editor at Scientific American for nearly 20 years and covered sustainability issues, including climate, environment, energy, and more. He assigned and edited feature articles and news by journalists and scientists and also wrote in those formats. He was founding managing editor of two spin-off magazines: Scientific American Mind and Scientific American Earth 3.0. His 2001 article “Drowning New Orleans” predicted the widespread disaster that a storm like Hurricane Katrina would impose on the city. Fischetti has written as a freelancer for the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian and many other outlets. He co-authored the book Weaving the Web with Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, which tells the real story of how the Web was created. He also co-authored The New Killer Diseases with microbiologist Elinor Levy. Fischetti has a physics degree and has twice served as Attaway Fellow in Civic Culture at Centenary College of Louisiana, which awarded him an honorary doctorate. In 2021 he received the American Geophysical Union’s Robert C. Cowen Award for Sustained Achievement in Science Journalism. He has appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press, CNN, the History Channel, NPR News and many radio stations.

More by Mark Fischetti
Scientific American Magazine Vol 312 Issue 1This article was published with the title “The Papers Most Discussed in 2014” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 312 No. 1 ()
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican012015-4OiDiMb2zYXH35JfcRlzwv
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