Gas Hydrates

CORRESPONDENCE
Indicators [www.esi-topics.com], and Gupta has not mentioned the years right. According to Gupta, all the data on number of papers and average citations per paper pertain to the period 1991–2000. In reality though only three sets of data (nanotechnology, quantum cryptography and conducting polymers) pertain to this period; the data for optoelectronics pertain to 1991–99; the data for neutrinos, photonics, quantum dots and magnesium diboride pertain to 1992–2002; the data for molecular self-assembly pertain to 1991–2001, and the data for fuel cells pertain to 1993–2003. Also, Gupta uses the term ‘impact factor’ for the nation as a whole although the term is used only for journals. Gupta says that for Indian papers citations per paper have gone up from 1.15 in 1992 to 1.6 in 2002, but does not say citations in how many years. Unfortunately, such casual use of numbers without a good understanding of what they mean or refer to is increasingly becoming common in India. But I would expect someone assisting the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Cabinet to report data accurately, use technical terms (such as impact factor) with care, and provide bibliographic references correctly.
5. Pichappan, P., Curr. Sci., 2003, 85, 423–425. 6. Satyanarayana, K. and Jain, N. C., Curr. Sci., 2004, 86, 627–629. 7. Balaram, P., Curr. Sci., 2004, 86, 623–624. 8. Arunachalam, S., Curr. Sci., 2003, 84, 259. 9. Arunachalam, S., Curr. Sci., 2003, 85, 1391–1392. 10. Arunachalam, S., Curr. Sci., 2004, 86, 629–632. 11. Gupta, R. P., Curr. Sci., 2004, 86, 1195– 1197. 12. Sylvan Katz, J., 1997, .

1. Arunachalam, S., Curr. Sci., 2002, 83, 107–108. 2. Padmanabhan, G., Curr. Sci., 2002, 83, 1055. 3. Karandikar, R. and Sunder, V. S., Curr. Sci., 2003, 85, 235. 4. Gupta, B. M. and Garg, K. C., Curr. Sci., 2003, 84, 1168–1169.

SUBBIAH ARUNACHALAM M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai 600 113, India e-mail: arun@mssrf.res.in

COMMENTARY

Marine gas hydrates: their...