This paper presents the results of the citation study in 24 leading journals on chemical engineering for 1987. The selective methodology or the analysis of co-citation limited only to this discipline is based on relatively low thresholds of citation and co-citation. The established research fronts refer mostly to basic research. The flow of information and knowledge to chemical engineering is determined to the extent of 70–90% by the works in this very field, as is indicated by the analysis of citations. The geography of research fronts was determined. The USSR has a very low fraction of frontal papers. This can be explained by the publication of papers in Russian and by a large number of secondary and applied research. This type of research is revealed by frequent citation of books and a small fraction of highly cited papers.