Sociological Studies Using ADS
Because it is used almost universally by astronomers, ADS can reveal much about how astronomical research is distributed around the world. Most users access the system from institutes of higher education, whose IP address can easily be used to determine the user's geographical location. Studies reveal that the highest per-capita users of ADS are France and Netherlands-based astronomers, and while more developed countries (measured by GDP per capita) use the system more than less developed countries; the relationship between GDP per capita and ADS use is not linear. The range of ADS usage per capita far exceeds the range of GDPs per capita, and basic research carried out in a country, as measured by ADS usage, has been found to be proportional to the square of the country's GDP divided by its population.
ADS usage statistics also suggest that astronomers in more developed countries tend to be more productive than those in less developed countries. The amount of basic research carried out is proportional to the number of astronomers in a country multiplied by the GDP per capita. Statistics also imply that astronomers in European cultures carry out about three times as much research as those in Asian cultures, perhaps suggesting cultural differences in the importance attached to astronomical research.
ADS has also been used to show that the fraction of single-author astronomy papers has decreased substantially since 1975 and that astronomical papers with more than 50 authors have become more common since 1990.
Read more about this topic: Astrophysics Data System
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