A Citation Analysis of Two Academic Library Journals Mary K

Research Notes 129

Bibliometrics in Information Science: A Citation Analysis of Two Academic Library Journals Mary K. Sellen

Bibliometrics has been applied in vary librarians. By common consensus they are ing degree and format to much of the liter the major journals in academic librarian ature of information science. La Borie1 in ship. Data tallied included whether the vestigated subject, form, and dates of a reference was a periodical article or mono group of library science dissertations done graph; if periodical article, what specific ti between 1969 and 1972. Peritz2 analyzed tle; and the date of each reference. the bibliometric data found in a core of in formation science journals in numerous RESULTS articles and her 1977 dissertation. Brace3 Thirty-seven articles in C&RL were pub studied the frequency of citations of spe lished in 1981 with a total of 454 refer cific authors and periodical titles in library ences. Of these, 178 were monograph cita and information science dissertations. tions, 258 were periodical citations and 18 Windsor4 examined the quantity of refer referred to miscellaneous documents, ences in information science papers. It is such as unpublished committee reports. apparent that there is no lack of interest in The average number of citations per article this aspect of information science. was 12.27. Academic librarians, by nature of their Twenty-seven articles in ]AL were pub situation in higher education, publish lished in 1981 with a total of 259 refer more than any other group of librarians. ences. Of these, 94 were monograph cita Because of this frequency of publishing, tions, 141 were periodical citations, and 23 academic librarians rely on journals as a referred to miscellaneous documents. The medium for communicating their research average number of citations per article efforts. An examination of the references was 9.59. found in journals of academic librarian Within the 258 periodical citations in ship can reveal some interesting biblio C&RL, 65, or 25.19 percent, were refer metric patterns. Questions specifically ences to articles previously published in asked in this study are (1) do academic li C&RL; 20, or7.75percent, were references brarians use more periodical articles or to ]AL; 173, or 67.05 percent, were refer monographs in their research; (2) do arti ences to other library and nonlibrary jour cles in specific journal titles reference that nals. specific journal; and (3) in what years are Within the 141 periodical citations in the majority of references found? A cita ]AL, 23, or 16.3 percent, were references to tion analysis was conducted in an attempt C&RL; 16, or 11.34 percent, were refer to answer these questions. ences to ]AL; 102, or 72.34 percent, were references to other library and nonlibrary THE STUDY journals (see table 1).

References in two academic library jour DISCUSSION nals, College & Research Libraries and Jour The figures obtained in the results indi nal of Academic Librarianship for 1981, were cate that the articles in both journals use examined. The choice of these two titles more periodical titles than monographs; was based on a survey done by Swisher however, the number of monographs is and Smith.5 C&RL and ]AL were among surprisingly high. This corresponds to the the top five. journal titles read by academic fact that the dates for both periodicals and

Mary K. Sellen is head librarian, Behrend College Library, Pennsylvania State University, Erie. 130 College & Research Libraries March 1984 monographs coincide, indicating that ferred to frequently but not as often as monographs for research are being pub C&RL and JAL were Library Journal and Li lished in the same years that relevant peri brary Quarterly (see table 1). In C&RL there odical articles are being published. is a dramatic drop in citation numbers af C&RL was the most cited periodical title ter the first three titles. The citation num in itself and in JAL. JAL ranked second in bers decline gradually in JAL. itself and C&RL. Other titles that were re- Monographs and periodicals used in

TABLE 1 RANKING OF PERIODICAL TITLES IN THE CITATIONS FOUND IN C&RL AND JAL: THE TOP TEN C&RL JAL Number of Number of Title Times Cited Title Times Cited C&RL 65 C&RL 27 JAL 20 JAL 16 LibraJ Journal 12 Library Journal 11 Drexe Library Quarterly 6 Amencan Libraries 9 Library Quarterly 5 Libra~ Resources Reference Services Review 4· & echnical Services 8 Aslib Proceedings 4 Library Quarterly 7 Journal %Documentation 4 RQ 5 Libra~ esources Online 4 & echnical Services 4 Drexel LibraJs Quarterly 2 Library Trends 4 Library Tren s 2

))

'(J 45 40 '0 (]) +> · rl 3) (.) Ul 30 s(]) ·rl +> 2) ..... 0 2l) h (]) ~ ;j 15 z l l)

) CRL

0 JAL

tJ) uo u·r uo uJ '70 71 ·r..: 73 74 7) 7o 77 71.3 79 80

Year s of publication

FIGURE 1 Years and Frequency of Citation in Periodicals and Monographs in JAL and C&RL Research Notes 131 these 1981 articles were published with most significant for articles in ]AL were the most frequency in the post-1975 years 1977, 1978, and 1979. Figure 3 indicates (see figure 1). Figure 2 indicates that the that the most important years for mono majority of journal articles in the 1981 graphs in C&RL were 1975, 1976, 1977, C&RL were published in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979, which correspond to the 1978, and 1979. The years that were the journal article years. In JAL, 1977, 1978,

"d Q) 35 +> •ri () 30 Ill Q)a •ri 25 +> <.-. 20 0,.. Q) 15 ~ z 10 CRL

0 JAL 65 66 67 b8 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 8o

Years of publication FIGURE2 Years and Frequency of Citation in Periodicals in JAL and C&RL

JO "d Q) ~ 25 ()

65 66 6'( 68 6') 70 7l 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80

Years of publication FIGURE 3 Years and Frequency of Citation in Monographs in JAL and C&RL 132 College & Research Libraries March 1984 and 1979, again, similar to the article This citation analysis indicates that re years, had the most titles published. search in academic librarianship (1) to a large extent reflects the current trends, as SUMMARY the years of publication for references The questions posed at the beginning of tend to predate the actual research by only · this study can be answered from the cita three to four years; (2) there is consider tion analyses of articles appearing in ably inbreeding within C&RL and JAL, the C&RL and JAL in 1981 as follows: (1) aca results of which may be positive or nega demic librarians do use more periodical ar tive; (3) C&RL is an important journal title ticles than monographs, but the number in which academic librarians can commu of monographs used is high; (2) C&RL and nicate their ideas; and (4) the time lag be JAL do reference themselves; (3) the ma tween periodical literature and mono jority of the references in both periodical graphic literature in library science does and monograph form were in the post- not seem to be large. 1975 years.

REFERENCES

1. T. La Borie, "Citation Patterns in Library Science Dissertations," Journal of Education for Librarian ship 16:271-83 (Spring 1976). 2. B. C. Peritz, ''Citation Characteristics in Library Science: Some Further Results from a Bibliometric Survey," Library Research 3:47-65 (Spring 1981). Peritz has also authored other articles in this area. 3. W. Brace, ''Frequently Cited Authors and Periodicals in Library and Information Science Disserta tions, 1961-1970," Library and Information Sciences 2:16-34 (Apr. 1976). 4. D. A. Windsor, "Citation of the Literature by Information Scientists in Their Own Publications," Journal of the American Society of Information Science 24:377-381 (Sept./Oct. 1973). 5. R. Swisher andP. C. Smith, ''Journals Read by ACRL Academic Librarians, 1973 and 1978,'' Col lege & Research Libraries 43:51-58 Oan. 1982). ttj; y ;: •I Acquisition Librarians . . . . . t 1 I Now is the time I \I ~~!~!~~ce for: ~:::=~~~:·,~:!:.d:~m:: IJ I; any book in print slips in books, standing orders, staff 1 l • • accurate invoicing orders, and up to date information on • meaningful reports open orders. 1 ' I • rush order service j I t • competitive discounts the : ' • PLUS MANY OTHER SERVICES BOOK i I f CALL TOLL-FREE TODAY HOUSE ' 1-800-248-1146 ' ' t Joe8EIIS SERVING LIBRARIES WITH 1 1 . In Canada & Michigan ANY BOOK IN PRINT SINCE 1112 I 208 WEST CHICAGO STREET I CALL COLLECT (517) 849-2117 JONESVILLE. MICHIGAN 49250 I.J..~ ~ SAN 169·3859~