Scientometric analyses of the international visibility of German psychology researchers and their range of specialization

With reference to the role of networking, accelerated by current developments within large parts of the scientific community, the assumption is examined that the range of specialization of scientists in terms of membership in professional sections of scientific societies is related to the international impact of their publications. The sample consists of 2,788 German psychologists enrolled in the German Psychological Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie, DGPs). A log-linear model suggests that the citation pattern of DGPs members with no citations of their papers published in 2000 or 2005 respectively in the time intervals 2000-2004 or 2005-2009 generally differs from that of their colleagues across four ranges of specialization categories. Configural Frequency Analysis led to the identification of distinct subgroups of scientific specialization and international visibility, i.e., citations by others. Specifically, for those individuals who enjoy international visibility, one key to success seems to be multiple professional specializations with reference to different subdisciplines of psychology.