arXiv subjects

Vincent A. Traag

Publications and source records attributed to Vincent A. Traag.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Mapping the interaction between science and misinformation in COVID-19 tweets

During the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific knowledge evolved rapidly, accompanied by a surge of misinformation, labelled an infodemic by the WHO. In this context, we study the interaction between science and misinformation on Twitter (now X) using a database of ~407M COVID-19-related tweets. We classify URL reliability with Media Bias/Fact Check and used Altmetric data to identify scientific publications. We find that among ~1.2M users who shared science, 45% also shared unreliable content. Scientific papers circulated by these users were more often preprints, slightly more likely to be retracted, less cited, and published in lower-impact journals. Our findings indicate misinformation is not driven by a lack of exposure to science but instead raise critical questions about open science practices, particularly the role of preprints in amplifying misleading narratives. Our results underscore the importance of proactive scientific engagement on social media in countering misinformation and reinforcing trust in science during global crises.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2023

Large network community detection by fast label propagation

Many networks exhibit some community structure. There exists a wide variety of approaches to detect communities in networks, each offering different interpretations and associated algorithms. For large networks, there is the additional requirement of speed. In this context, the so-called label propagation algorithm (LPA) was proposed, which runs in near-linear time. In partitions uncovered by LPA, each node is ensured to have most links to its assigned community. We here propose a fast variant of LPA (FLPA) that is based on processing a queue of nodes whose neighbourhood recently changed. We test FLPA exhaustively on benchmark networks and empirical networks, finding that it can run up to 700 times faster than LPA. In partitions found by FLPA, we prove that each node is again guaranteed to have most links to its assigned community. Our results show that FLPA is generally preferable to LPA.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2021

Use of the journal impact factor for assessing individual articles: Statistically flawed or not?

Most scientometricians reject the use of the journal impact factor for assessing individual articles and their authors. The well-known San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment also strongly objects against this way of using the impact factor. Arguments against the use of the impact factor at the level of individual articles are often based on statistical considerations. The skewness of journal citation distributions typically plays a central role in these arguments. We present a theoretical analysis of statistical arguments against the use of the impact factor at the level of individual articles. Our analysis shows that these arguments do not support the conclusion that the impact factor should not be used for assessing individual articles. Using computer simulations, we demonstrate that under certain conditions the number of citations an article has received is a more accurate indicator of the value of the article than the impact factor. However, under other conditions, the impact factor is a more accurate indicator. It is important to critically discuss the dominant role of the impact factor in research evaluations, but the discussion should not be based on misplaced statistical arguments. Instead, the primary focus should be on the socio-technical implications of the use of the impact factor.

cs.DL↗