A deep learning approach for identifying biomedical breakthrough discoveries using context analysis

Xue Wang,Xuemei Yang,Jiao Li,Xuwen Wang,Xiaoli Tang,Jian Du

doi:10.1007/s11192-021-04003-z

Xue Wang, Xuemei Yang + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-021-04003-z

Copy DOI

Abstract

Breakthrough research in scientific fields usually comes as a manifestation of major development and advancement. These advances build to an epiphany where new ways of thinking about a problem become possible. Identifying breakthrough research can be useful for cultivating and funding further innovation. This article presents a new method for identifying scientific breakthroughs from research papers based on cue words commonly associated with major advancements. We looked for specific terms signifying scientific breakthroughs in citing sentences to identify breakthrough articles. By setting a threshold for the number of citing sentences (“citances”) with breakthrough cue words that peer scholars often use when evaluating research, we identified articles containing breakthrough research. We call this approach the “others-evaluation” process. We then shortlisted candidates from the selected articles based on the authors’ evaluations of their own research, found in the abstracts. This we call the “self-evaluation” process. Combining the two approaches into a dual “others-self” evaluation process, we arrived at a sample of 237 potential breakthrough articles, most of which are recommended by the Faculty Opinions. Based on the breakthrough articles identified, using SVM, TextCNN, and BERT to train the models to identify abstracts with breakthrough evaluations. This automatic identification model can greatly simplify the process of others-self-evaluation process and promote identifying breakthrough research.

Highlights

Science is a dynamic system of scientific advances in which breakthrough discoveries are important developmental markers whose impact may extend beyond their own field of study
Significant gains in scientific research could result for both scientists and agencies if breakthrough research could be identified early on and promoted through sympathetic funding policies
We developed the lingo of calling a citance containing a breakthrough cue word as a “breakthrough citance”

Summary

Introduction

Science is a dynamic system of scientific advances in which breakthrough discoveries are important developmental markers whose impact may extend beyond their own field of study. From the perspective of scientific research and policy, breakthrough discoveries. Several scholars have even established theoretical models to identify and explore the features of breakthrough research (Chen, 2012; Chen et al, 2009; Ponomarev et al, 2014; Winnink et al, 2016; Wolcott et al, 2016). In 2017, the Report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (2017) promoted these ends, emphasizing the need to make China a country of innovators who could contribute major breakthroughs to pioneering basic research. Significant gains in scientific research could result for both scientists and agencies if breakthrough research could be identified early on and promoted through sympathetic funding policies. Our purpose with this research was to develop a feasible method of filtering breakthrough discoveries out of the vast expanses of academic literature—ideally before they have become “old news”

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion