AMSTERDAM, November 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Elsevier, the world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the availability of SciVal Spotlight country maps (http://www.info.scival.com). The country maps are a new option for academic and governmental decision makers seeking to understand national research strengths against the increasingly interdisciplinary backdrop of global research. They are an extension of the SciVal Spotlight solution, which uses an innovative analytical algorithm to reveal customized graphical representations of research performance over time and across scientific fields.

SciVal Spotlight institutional maps launched in June of 2009 offering detailed views of the unique research competencies of research institutions, recognizing an emerging need to visualize research performance at a national level. The addition of country maps enables research decision makers to broaden their analytical scope of global research output.

Working with research institutions and funding bodies across the globe, we uncovered a growing demand for ways to analyze interdisciplinary research strengths in the context of a national research footprint, explained Jay Katzen, Managing Director of Elsevier Academic and Government Products. By adding country maps to SciVal Spotlight, we can address this need by allowing strategic decision makers to adjust their focus and gain a wider perspective of the research horizon. Presented with a national view on research performance, academic and governmental research advisors will have stronger quantitative evidence to support critical funding, policy, and strategic research decisions.

Moving beyond the traditional method of measuring research output by publication and citation counts, the underlying model of SciVal Spotlight relies on the co-citation analysis of over 16,000 peer-reviewed journals to more accurately reflect the current structure of science. Leveraging this new model of science, SciVal Spotlight country maps allow institutions to understand how their work contributes to their nation's research strengths as well as their relative national standing within each of these research competencies. The country maps can also be used to identify potential areas for specialization, diversification, or collaboration. In addition, by measuring the regional size and growth of each national competency, the sustainability of leadership positions can be analyzed.

Illustrating the unique insight SciVal Spotlight offers, Elsevier is in the process of conducting a detailed analysis of the water resources landscape. The study, scheduled for release in Q4 of this year, will identify trends and reveal leading institutes and up-and-coming countries in this area of research. For additional information about the study or to receive a copy of the report on key findings when available, please contact Sandra Plasse at +1-212-752-8338 or splasse@psbpr.com.

About the Elsevier SciVal(R) Suite

Elsevier's SciVal suite (http://www.info.scival.com) of services supports academic and government leadership in evaluating, establishing and executing research strategies that optimize the performance of existing assets and maximize investments to enhance near and long-term productivity. SciVal tools leverage SciVerse Scopus(R), Elsevier's comprehensive scientific research database and a trusted source of bibliometric data, to offer innovative yet authoritative solutions. Current suite offerings include: SciVal Spotlight(TM), a strategic tool that generates unique institutional and country maps of existing and emerging strengths based on an interdisciplinary perspective of current performance; SciVal Funding(TM), an online solution that provides targeted recommendations on grants to pursue based on pre-populated research profiles and historical awards; Elsevier's Collexis Expert Profiling, a semantic technology-based application that enables researchers to identify and locate sources of expertise at an individual or departmental level within and across institutions.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet (http://www.thelancet.com/) and Cell (http://www.cell.com/), and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include SciVerse ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/), SciVerse Scopus (http://www.scopus.nl/), Reaxys (https://www.reaxys.com/), MD Consult (http://www.mdconsult.com/) and Nursing Consult ( http://www.nursingconsult.com/), which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite (http://www.scival.com/) and MEDai's Pinpoint Review (http://www.medai.com/), which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.

A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier ( http://www.elsevier.com) employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC (http://www.reedelsevier.com/), a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Media contact: Jen Saunders Sandra Plasse Phone: +1-212-752-8338 Email: jsaunder@psbpr.com splasse@psbpr.com

SOURCE: Elsevier

CONTACT: Media contact: Jen Saunders, Sandra Plasse, Phone:+1-212-752-8338, Email: jsaunder@psbpr.com, splasse@psbpr.com