There were more research papers by Chinese universities published last year according to a report from the Institution of Scientific and Technical Information of China. However, not many of them have been included in the Science Citation Index (SCI)) which is considered an important benchmark to judge a country's scholarly scientific development and can be used by researchers from other countries.
The frequency of Chinese papers in the SCI being quoted places the country at 13th in the world which is relatively low when the large amount of work actually published is taken into consideration.
However, researchers are well advised not to be anxious to achieve quick success and instant benefits. Sometimes it takes the hard work of generations to make great discoveries. So the number of papers published should not be over-emphasized.
Although it is important, honest work and just reward means much more.
(Chinanews.cn November 1, 2006)
