AbstractThis article presents a comprehensive review of the publication trends and influential authors in biochar research based on an analysis of articles published between 2008 and April 2023 in the Web of Science database. The study reveals a significant increase in the number of publications on biochar over the years, reflecting a growing interest in this field. The analysis of highly cited papers reveals the presence of tight clusters of authors, with notable leaders from Korea and China. These individuals demonstrate strong connections within their research networks. The article further identifies the most prolific authors in biochar research, highlighting their significant number of papers and citations. However, the article raises concerns about these hyperprolific authors who publish an unusually high number of papers and authors with excessively high citation counts. Such practices raise questions about feasibility, quality, and ethical conduct in research. Further investigation is necessary to understand the mechanisms behind hyperprolific authorship and ensure the maintenance of rigorous scientific inquiry and ethical standards. The article demonstrates the hyperbole in biochar research publications that may include citation manipulation and boosting. It pointed to worrisome practices by some hyperprolific authors in pursue of high citations. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of balancing productivity with the integrity and rigor of research to uphold the principles of quality and responsible scientific practice.IntroductionBiochar is a popular topic in the realm of environmental science and sustainable agriculture, with a growing body of scientific publications dedicated to its study. Biochar refers to the carbon-rich material that is produced through the process of pyrolysis, the controlled decomposition of organic matter in the absence of oxygen (Qian et al. 2015). This highly porous substance has gained significant attention due to its potential benefits in enhancing soil health, sequestering carbon, pollutant removal, and mitigating climate change. Over the years, numerous scientific publications have delved into various aspects of biochar, including its production methods, characterization, applications, and the ecological and agronomic impacts it can have. These publications have highlighted its potential role in sustainable land management practices, offering valuable insights to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers (Allohverdi et al. 2015).Biochar has been hailed as a potential game-changer in our efforts to combat climate change, improve soil health, and even address energy needs. Its appeal lies in its multifaceted benefits and applications which have led to considerable hype in both scientific and popular discourse (Kumar et al. 2023).The excitement surrounding biochar is primarily driven by its potential to mitigate climate change. Biochar is essentially a form of charcoal created by pyrolysis, which stabilizes the carbon in the material, turning it into a form that is not easily decomposed. Consequently, biochar can sequester carbon in the soil for hundreds or even thousands of years, keeping it out of the atmosphere where it would contribute to global warming (Lehmann et al. 2006).Another aspect of the hype is biochar's promise in the field of agriculture. It has been touted as a panacea for degraded soils, with the ability to improve soil fertility, increase agricultural productivity, and enhance resilience to climate change. Biochar can increase soil water-holding capacity, retain nutrients for plant use, and stimulate beneficial soil microbial activity, which collectively enhance soil health and crop yields (Jha et al. 2010).Biochar's potential role in waste management and as a renewable energy source has also led to considerable excitement. The process of creating biochar can help manage organic waste, turning a problem into a solution. Moreover, the heat generated during the pyrolysis process can be harnessed and used as a renewable energy source, adding to the green appeal of biochar (Liu et al. 2019).Despite the hype, it's important to note that while the potential benefits of biochar are impressive, they are not guaranteed (Baveye 2021). The effects of biochar can vary widely depending on a host of factors, including the type of feedstock used to create it, the temperature at which it's produced, how it's applied, and the specific characteristics of the soil it's added to. The burgeoning hype surrounding biochar has not only caught the attention of the public and policymakers, but has also sparked significant interest within the scientific community. This interest has led to a surge in the publication of research papers exploring various aspects of biochar (Baveye 2021). However, this proliferation of research also underscores the complexity of biochar science, as the results often reveal a nuanced picture of biochar's effects that can depend heavily on specific conditions and applications. Professor Baveye from Paris University called "hyperbole" in discussions around biochar to highlight the exaggerated claims made about its potential benefits (Baveye 2021). These claims are overblown or not sufficiently supported by empirical evidence. While it is true that biochar has shown promise in various applications, the variability in its effects due to factors such as feedstock type, production conditions, and soil characteristics means that it may not always deliver the expected benefits. Moreover, the long-term impacts of biochar application on soil and environmental health are not fully understood, leading to further caution (Baveye 2023). Scepticism or caution is called on the tendency to make broad, generalized claims about its benefits. Recent years have also seen a significant increase in the publication of highly cited scientific papers on biochar, which are often considered indicative of their impact and quality in the academic community. Identification of such influential papers can be achieved through databases tracking citation data, or via lists compiled by institutions like Clarivate Analytics.In a recent analysis of characteristics of highly cited papers in Environmental sciences by the author, the study reveals that a small group of exceptionally prolific authors, who publish between 60 to 100 papers annually, dominate the list of highly cited works (Abduh 2023). The majority of these authors work independently, with notable exceptions being two clusters publishing biochar in Korea and China. Network analysis exposes a collective of scientists with an impressive number of highly cited papers, indicating collaboration in publication and citation.The aim of this study is to analyze and understand the landscape of highly cited researchers and authors in the field of biochar. We seek to identify the most prolific contributors, understand their publishing patterns, and examine the nature and extent of their collaborations. By providing insights into the key influencers shaping biochar research, this study aims to illuminate the current state of this rapidly evolving field, and inform future research directions.MethodsThis study investigated publication pattern and highly cited papers focusing on biochar, published between 2008 and April 2023. To achieve this, the Web of Science database, a comprehensive source of academic and scientific literature developed by Clarivate Analytics, was utilized. The database was queried for all papers published under the topic “biochar" during the specified period.The Web of Science database is a trusted tool for research and citation analysis within the scientific and academic communities, as it allows users to track the impact of research, identify trends in academic publishing, and access literature across a wide range of disciplines.Data from the search results were downloaded and exported to MS Excel for preliminary analysis. Subsequently, VOSviewer 1.6.9, a software tool developed by Nees Jan van Eck and Ludo Waltman at Leiden University Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), was used to analyze and visualize authors' networks.VOSviewer specializes in analyzing bibliometric data, such as citation and co-citation data, and can generate a variety of visualizations, including co-citation maps, term maps, and network diagrams. These visualizations enable researchers to understand the relationships among different research topics, authors, and institutions, and identify patterns and trends in scientific literature. VOSviewer is a widely recognized tool in the scientific and academic communities for bibliometric analysis (Qin et al. 2022).Results and DiscussionPublication trendThis study conducted an extensive review of articles published in international English scientific journals on the topic “biochar” listed in the Web of Science database between 2008 and April 2023. The results of the search produce 29,608 papers equating to an average of over 2,700 papers published annually in the past ten years. Out of these, the top 1% or 1,029 papers were identified as highly cited papers by Web of Science. These highly cited papers are distinguished by receiving a significant number of citations relative to other papers published in the same field and year, placing them in the top 1% based on citation count.To further analyze these 1,029 highly cited papers, a text keyword network was constructed using VosViewer. This network provided insights into the prevalent topics discussed within this influential body of literature (Figure 1).Figure 1 indicates the research in biochar can be grouped in 3 categories: the use of biochar for adsorption or removals of pollutants, the second is on biochar application to soil for plant growth and yield, and the third is on the degradation of biochar. A smaller group of topic indicates the subject on methods of digestion.

AbstractThis paper analytically analyzes the use and limitations of ranking systems for highly cited researchers compiled by Stanford University’s ranking of the world’s top 2% most influential scientists. This list is commonly used to identify influential and respected members of a particular field. However, it is important to critically evaluate the list and its methodology and  no such analysis to this date. From a critical analysis of the September 2022 version of this world’s top 2% of scientists list, this research finds that the database of the list is flawed, including inaccurately listing researchers as first publishing in the 19th century and continuing to publish until 2022, listing authors with low publication numbers and career lengths, mixing news articles and editorials with research papers, listing institutes as authors rather than individuals, and listing authors with a high percentage of self-citations. The study suggests that the promotion and use of such “standardized” citation rankings should be discouraged.

AbstractThe greatest challenge in scientific publishing is that incentives are focused on getting it published, not getting it right. The promotion and prestige of getting highly cited papers have become more prevalent in recent years. While having highly cited papers could imply a high impact, overly producing highly cited papers could raise doubts about the quantity, calibre, and real-world impact of such papers. There has not been any research on analyzing highly cited papers in environmental sciences. To fill this gap, this study surveyed 931,027 articles published in 2013-2022 in Environmental Sciences journals to identify highly cited papers and their authors. The top 1% citations of these articles were identified in 3 topics: (1) biochar, (2) pollution and environmental degradation, and (3) climate change, renewable energy and emissions. The findings also show that the top highly cited authors are dominated by a few extremely prolific individuals, publishing an average of 60–100 papers each year and having more than 20 highly cited papers. Moreover, most authors work independently except two clusters centred in Korea and China. The network analysis uncovers a network of scientists with a remarkable number of highly cited papers working as a team. Scientific publishing should be carried out honestly and ethically. The scientific community relies on the integrity of the research process and the accuracy of published research in order to advance knowledge and make important decisions. Publications should have honesty, openness, transparency, objectivity, and reproducibility principles.  IntroductionOne of the most widely used scientific quality metrics is citation count. Citation is often used to measure scientific research's quality and impact. When a paper is cited by other researchers, it can be taken as an indicator that the paper has made a significant contribution to the field and that it is considered to be of high quality and importance. Therefore, a high number of citations can be seen as a sign of the quality and significance of a researcher's work [1,2]. In particular, recent years have witnessed an upsurge in the promotion of highly cited and scientific or scholarly papers that many other papers have cited [1,2]. This is often taken as an indicator of the impact and influence of the paper in the academic community. Highly cited papers are often seen as being of high quality and significance and may be considered to be important contributions to the field in which they were published. There are various ways to identify highly cited papers, such as through databases that track and compile citation data, or through lists of papers that have been identified as highly cited by database institutions such as Clarivate Analytics or the Institute for Scientific Information or Scopus.Researchers may be interested in highly cited papers because they are likely to contain important and influential ideas and findings in their field. Reading and referencing highly cited papers can help researchers stay current with the latest developments in their field and may provide them with ideas for their own research. Funding agencies and grant review committees may consider the number of citations a paper has received when evaluating the quality and significance of a research proposal. Universities and other institutions may use citations to evaluate the quality of a researcher's work and decide which researchers to hire or promote. Furthermore publishers of scientific journals may be interested in highly cited papers because they are likely to be of high quality and may attract a large number of readers. In general, highly cited papers are often seen as being important contributions to the field in which they were published and may be of interest to a wide range of people in the scientific and academic communities.Clarivate Analytics is a company that provides information, analytics, and expertise to the scientific and intellectual property communities. One of the services they offer is the identification of Highly Cited Papers, which they do through their Web of Science database. To identify Highly Cited Papers, Clarivate Analytics looks at the number of citations a paper has received over a given time period and compares it to the number of citations received by other papers in the same field and published in the same year. Then, they use this information to create a list of papers that have received a high number of citations relative to other papers in their field. The selection process is based on its own citation data and is intended to identify papers that have significantly impacted their field and whose work has been widely recognized by their peers. The list of Highly Cited Papers is updated regularly to reflect the most recent data.There are a few things that can help increase the chances of a paper becoming highly cited:-          Conduct high-quality research: It is important to produce research that is well-designed, well-conducted, and that makes an original contribution to the field.-          Publish in high-quality journals: Publishing in a well-respected and high-impact journal can increase the visibility of your paper and the chances that it will be cited by other researchers.-          Write a clear and well-written paper: A clear, well-written paper that is easy to understand and follow will be more likely to be read and cited by other researchers.-          Use appropriate citation practices: Citing relevant and influential papers in your own work can increase the chances that your paper will be cited by others.-          Promote the paper: Making sure that the paper is widely available and promoting it to the relevant research community can increase the chances that it will be read and cited.It is worth noting that becoming a highly cited paper is not something that can be guaranteed, as it depends on a variety of factors such as the quality of the research, the relevance of the topic, and the extent to which it is of interest to the research community. Papers in the field of environmental sciences can address a wide range of important and timely topics, and if the research is of high quality and makes a significant contribution to the field, it can become highly cited. Environmental sciences cover a wide range of subdisciplines and include interdisciplinary research. Some ongoing trends and developments in the field of environmental sciences include:-          Climate change: Understanding the causes and impacts of climate change, and developing strategies for mitigating and adapting to its effects, is a major focus of research in environmental science.-          Biodiversity and conservation: Protecting biodiversity and preserving natural habitats is a key concern in environmental science, and there is ongoing research on topics such as species extinction, habitat loss, and conservation strategies.-          Environmental pollution: Research on the causes and impacts of environmental pollution, as well as strategies for mitigating and remedying pollution, is a major focus in environmental science.-          Renewable energy: Developing and implementing renewable energy sources is an important area of research in environmental science, as it can help reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate their impact on the environment.-          Environmental policy and governance: There is ongoing research on the development and implementation of effective environmental policies and governance frameworks at the local, national, and global levels.These are just a few trends and developments in the field of environmental science. The field constantly evolves as new research is conducted and new challenges and opportunities arise.Scientists have considerable enticements to publish highly cited papers, and in fact, their professions depend on it. The obligation and pressure to publish to evaluate a scientist or institutional impact and scientific reputation have become a new facet of publishing over the years. However, it is important to note that citation is not the only measure of scientific quality and that it should not be the only factor considered when evaluating the impact and significance of a researcher's work. Other factors, such as the originality and importance of the research, the soundness of the research methods and conclusions, and the relevance of the research to the field, should also be taken into account.It is generally accepted that a high number of citations is an indicator of the quality and significance of a researcher's work. However, it is possible for papers that contain fraudulent or unethical research to receive a high number of citations, either because the fraud is not detected before the paper is published or because the paper is cited by other researchers who are unaware of the fraud. In such cases, the high number of citations may not reflect the research's true quality and may result from the authors' fraudulent or unethical practices. The scientific community needs to be vigilant in detecting and addressing fraudulent or unethical research in order to ensure the integrity and reliability of the scientific literature.Environmental sciences as a multidisciplinary field have not been studied in detail in terms of its highly cited papers. This paper aims to study its traits and authors. A number of studies have looked at various characteristics of highly cited papers and the researchers who wrote them. For example, some studies have analyzed the content and methods of highly cited papers in order to identify common themes or trends [1,2]. Other studies have examined the demographics and career histories of highly cited researchers in order to identify factors that may contribute to their success [3]. By studying the traits and authors of highly cited papers, it is possible to gain insights into the factors that contribute to the success and impact of scientific research. This information can be useful for researchers looking to improve the quality and impact of their own work, as well as for organizations that support research and development. MethodsThis study has the objective of studying highly cited papers in environmental sciences in 2013-2022. Tthe Web of Science database was used, by searching all papers published under the category "Environmental Sciences" from January 2013 to December 2022. Web of Science is a database of scientific and scholarly literature, including journal articles, conference proceedings, and other types of publications. It is produced by Clarivate Analytics and is widely used in the scientific and academic communities as a tool for research and citation analysis. Web of Science includes a range of features and tools that allow users to search for and access scientific and scholarly literature, track the impact and influence of research, and identify trends and patterns in research. It includes a large number of journals and other publications from a wide range of disciplines, and it is frequently used by researchers, librarians, and others to find and access research in their field of study.Search results of the research publication data were downloaded from the library's website and exported in MS Excel, and authors networks were analyzed and visualized using the VOS viewer 1.6.9. VOSviewer is a software tool that can visualize and analyze bibliometric data, such as citation and co-citation data. It was developed by Nees Jan van Eck and Ludo Waltman at Leiden University Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS). VOSviewer can create various visualizations, such as co-citation maps, term maps, and network diagrams, that can help researchers understand the relationships between different research topics, authors, and institutions. It is often used in conjunction with bibliometric databases, such as Web of Science or Scopus, to analyze citation data and to identify patterns and trends in the scientific literature. VOSviewer is widely used in the scientific and academic communities and is available as a free download.  Results and DiscussionHighly cited papers in Environmental Sciences Based on the publication database and publications from environmental science journals in Web of Science in the last decade (2013- 2022), this study conducted a comprehensive survey of 931,027 articles or equal to over 93,100 papers were published per year. Amongst these articles, Web of Science identified the top 1% or 10,153 papers that were considered highly cited papers. Highly cited papers are scientific papers that have received a large number of citations from other papers in the scientific literature or top 1% based on the number of citations received when compared to other papers published in the same field in the same year. A text keyword network was of these 10,153 highly cited papers was performed using VosViewer to examine topics that occurred in these papers. While environmental sciences is a large multidiscipline. the network produced by the software and uncovered in Figure 1, highly cited papers only study around 3 main topics: (1)    Evaluating biochar performance and use as chemical adsorbentsBiochar is a type of porous, charcoal-like material that is produced by heating organic material, such as wood, in the absence of oxygen. It has a high surface area and a network of tiny pores, which make it highly effective at adsorbing a wide range of chemicals from solution. Biochar has been as a chemical adsorbent in a variety of applications, including: Removing heavy metals from water where biochar has been shown to be effective at removing heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, from contaminated water; Removing pesticides from soil as biochar can adsorb pesticides from soil, helping to reduce their levels and mitigate their harmful effects on the environment; Biochar can be used to filter out VOCs, which are harmful air pollutants that are emitted by a variety of sources, including paints, adhesives, and cleaning products; Removing oil spills by adsorbing the oil from the surface of water.(2)    Global pollution and environmental degradation including microplastic accumulation in environment, plant and ocean, ocean acidification.Microplastics are small pieces of plastic that are smaller than 5 mm in size. The accumulation of microplastics in plants and oceans is a cause for concern because of the potential negative impacts on both the environment and human health. In plants, microplastics can interfere with normal growth and development, as well as affect the plant's ability to absorb water and nutrients. Microplastics can also enter the food chain when plants are eaten by animals. In oceans, microplastics can accumulate in the water column and on the seafloor, where they can be ingested by marine life and enter the food chain. Microplastics have been found in a wide range of marine species, including fish, shellfish, and birds, and can cause physical harm and disrupt the normal functioning of their organs and systems. The accumulation of microplastics in the environment is also a concern because they can serve as a vector for the transport of harmful chemicals and pathogens, which can have negative impacts on both the environment and human health.(3)    Climate change and reduction of emissions.Several themes under this topic including renewable energy, climate change scenario and emission estimatuon.There are several novel ways to estimate the emissions of a country in relation to its economic growth, including the use statistical analysis to examine the relationship between economic growth and emissions: By analyzing data on a country's economic growth and emissions over time, it is possible to estimate the relationship between these two variables. Economic models can be used to forecast emissions based on projections of economic growth. These models typically incorporate variables such as energy use, industrial production, and transportation patterns, which can be used to estimate emissions in the future. Furthermore scenario analysis involves developing a range of potential scenarios for economic growth and examining the corresponding impacts on emissions. This can help to understand the potential trade-offs between economic growth and emissions reduction. Moreover bottom-up approach involves estimating emissions sector by sector, based on the emission intensity of each sector. This can provide a more detailed understanding of the sources of emissions within a country and the potential opportunities for reducing them. 

Scientific publication metrics  are commonly used to assess the quality of scientific publications and works. These metrics can be used to assess the caliber and significance of a scientific publication as well as the productivity and accomplishment of a scientist's study. Citation metrics and the quantity of papers are closely associated, notwithstanding the importance of citations. Studies suggest many scientists are capable of publishing a scientific publication in just five days. This study critically investigates these so-called hyper prolific authors using the Stanford top 2% world scientists database. The findings clearly show that certain authors publish, on average, 100–200 publications annually, even those with a single author. A closer inspection uncovers this top 2% database's weakness and the fact that these authors from the field of medicine are actually journalists. Even Nobel laureates were ranked lower than some of these journalists. Subsequent inquiry reveals certain related researchers who publish more than 100 articles in environmental sciences per year and set records for the most highly cited papers ever. In order to ensure that the process of publishing a paper is carried out honestly and that the search of knowledge is not hampered by personal interests, it is decided that the scientific community has to develop ethical norms and procedures regarding the number of publications.