- Advances in ALS Research and Environmental Science Are among the Hottest Research Fields, while Genomic Editing and Solar Cell Fabrication Emerge as Leading Research Fronts

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Intellectual Property and Science business of Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, today released "Research Fronts 2014: 100 Top Ranked Specialties in the Sciences and Social Sciences," an annual report identifying prominent areas of scientific research over the past year.

The study identifies the top 100 hottest fields of scientific research and 44 emerging research fronts, based on a comprehensive analysis of scientific literature citations. Working in collaboration with the National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NSLC), Thomson Reuters bibliometric experts utilized InCitesTM Essential Science IndicatorsSM, the world's leading web-based research analytics platform and a unique compilation of science performance metrics and trend data based on scholarly paper publication counts and citation data from the Web of ScienceTM, the premier web-based environment for scientific and scholarly research, to identify "research fronts" built on recently published "core" or foundational journal articles.

Five noteworthy topics among the hottest research fronts are:

Five noteworthy topics among the hottest research fronts are:

"We were pleased to work with the NSLC to expand the depth of this year's Research Fronts report," said David Pendlebury, Thomson Reuters IP & Science analyst. "The combined strength of Thomson Reuters unparalleled data and analysis capabilities with the Chinese Academy's expertise in scientific research not only increases the depth of the report, but also provides a solid foundation for researchers, funding agencies and administrators for better decision making by identifying research trends and new areas of study."

Read the full report: "Research Fronts 2014: 100 Top Ranked Specialties in the Sciences and Social Sciences." Learn more about InCites and Web of Science.

About National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NSLC)
The National Science Library, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NSLC), provides research-focused institutions with a public information platform composed of scholarly literature, strategic intelligence and communication services in the natural sciences, inter-disciplinary fields and technology. The NSLC also grants Doctoral and Master's degrees in library and information sciences and is a prominent member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).

About Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial and risk, legal, tax and accounting, intellectual property and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

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SOURCE Thomson Reuters