Compressing multiple scales of impact detection by Reference Publication Year Spectroscopy

Reference Publication Year Spectroscopy (RPYS) is a scientometric technique that effectively reveals punctuated peaks of historical scientific impact on a specified research field or technology. In many cases, a seminal discovery serves as the driving force underlying any given peak. Importantly, the results from a RPYS analyses are represented on their own distinct scales, the bounds of which vary considerably across analyses. This makes comparing years of punctuated impact across multiple RPYS analyses problematic. In this paper, we propose a data transformation and visualization technique that resolves this challenge. Specifically, using a rank-order normalization procedure, we compress the results of multiple RPYS analyses into a single, consistent rank scale that clearly highlights years of punctuated impact across RPYS analyses. We suggest that rank transformation increases the effectiveness of this scientometric technique to reveal the scope of historical impact of seminal works by allowing researchers to simultaneously consider results from multiple RPYS analyses.