Bibliometric analysis of African Journal Of Library, Archives and Information Science from 2000-2012

2014 ◽  
Vol 63 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 305-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeyinka Tella ◽  
Ayotola Aisha Olabooye

Purpose – This study aims to examine the pattern of publications, using a bibliometric analysis, of the African Journal of Library, Archives and Information Science (AJLAIS) for the period between 2000 and 2012. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses appropriate measures and techniques of bibliometric analysis. Keeping the objectives of the study in mind, the data were collected from the AJLAIS covering the 13 identified years. The analysis covers mainly the number of articles published per volume in each of the specified years, the authorship patterns, the subject areas covered, the length of articles, the citation pattern of articles and the article types. Findings – The results of the study reveal that a total of 218 articles were published in the 13-year period, with 21 (9.63 per cent) articles being the highest total in the year 2002. The study showed that the majority of the articles, i.e. 126 (57.8 per cent), were published by single authors, out of which, a large number were on information retrieval. Of the total number of articles published, 86 (39.4 per cent) were 6-10 pages in length. Volume 19 in 2009 had the highest number of citations with a total of 451 (12.4 per cent). In addition, the study revealed that the majority of the articles were theoretical papers, with a total of 108 (49.5 per cent), while the others were empirical papers, book reviews and short communications. Practical implications – This bibliometric study will enlarge the knowledge base of information professionals on the present condition of library and information science (LIS) research in the current African context and provide some basis for future projections of the discipline. The study will also be helpful for librarians in the process of collection development. This is because, due to increased journal costs and slim budgets for libraries, collection development specialists must make careful selections based on the qualities and standards of journals. Originality/value – Researchers who shy away from this particular type of research owing to its rigorous and time-consuming nature should gather the courage to do so. Further studies should focus on analysing journals that are published in the field of librarianship in Africa, as it will create more awareness of the field of study among other professionals or researchers who are yet to know about it. The study has also revealed AJLAIS as one of the LIS standard journals in terms of its wider citation by contributors in the broader LIS literature.

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 134-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.P. Singh ◽  
Harish Chander

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to explore the publication trends of the scholarly journal Library Management, and highlight its various important aspects. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents results of bibliometric analysis of 336 articles which were published during the period 2006-2012, in the Library Management journal of Emerald. Findings – The results indicate that the majority of the contributions by single authors and most cited documents are journal articles. The study highlights the chronological distribution of articles, authorship pattern, geographical distribution of authors, institutions wise distribution, citation pattern and length of articles. Originality/value – As yet there have been no such studies conducted that investigate the various aspects of Library Management journal. It evaluates the publication trends of the journal and has important implications for scholars and researchers.


2015 ◽  
Vol 116 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 433-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Munazza Jabeen ◽  
Liu Yun ◽  
Muhammad Rafiq ◽  
Misbah Jabeen

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore, by a quantitative analysis, growth rates of, and trends in, global publications in the field of library and information science (LIS) produced by library science professionals. Design/methodology/approach – A survey approach was used in this paper. Journal Citation Reports 2010 was the major source for selecting 40 LIS core journals. A bibliometric analysis was conducted. Visualization and mapping software was utilized to present a picture of the growth in and trends relating to LIS publications. Findings – A total of 18,371 research articles were published from 2003 to 2012. A significant growth rate (11.37 per cent) was found in 2009. Self-citation tendencies have been increasing, with an average rate of 38.56 per cent. Of all publication types, “article” was the most popular among LIS researchers. China has contributed remarkably in terms of collaborative publications. Practical implications – The present study could be helpful for library professionals, subject specialists and policy makers. These findings may encourage library professionals to integrate and monitor library functions through bibliometric analysis. Originality/value – This paper identifies growth and trends in publications by LIS researchers through use of bibliometrics.


2011 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 23-29
Author(s):  
Nosheen Fatima Warriach ◽  
Sajjad Ahmad

Pakistan Journal of Library and Information Science (PJLIS) is an HEC recognized journal published by the Department of Library and Information Science, University of the Punjab, Lahore. A total of 111 publications from 11 issues of PJLIS were published during 1995 to 2010. It has outstanding contribution in the dissemination of LIS research on national and international level as it publishes both in print and electronic format. A bibliometric analysis of contributions published in the PJLIS from 1995 to 2010 has been presented in this paper. Attempt has been made to study all 11 issues of this journal on the basis of different parameters, viz., author productivity, extent of authors' collaboration, authors' institutional affiliation, authors' geographic affiliation, type of publication, language of papers, number of citations used per article, length of papers, and year-wise distribution of papers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khurshid Ahmad ◽  
Zheng JianMing ◽  
Muhammad Rafi

Purpose The purpose of this study is to provide a bibliometric analysis of knowledge management (KM) literature published in the field of library and information science. KM is a systematic process of acquisition, extraction, organization and dissemination of knowledge in any organization. This study will help identify trends, emerging concepts and innovations in this particular field. Design/methodology/approach The data set of the study consists of 6,088 published documents the authors obtained from the ISI Web of Science database during 1900 and 2017. The analysis of literature about the library and information science consisted of five categories including productive institutions, prolific authors, annual publications, citations and highly cited articles. The documents included in this study include research papers, conference papers, reviews, book reviews and editorials. Findings The study found that the USA leads the world regarding the number of research publications in the area of KM in the field of library and information science. Considering the publication period, 2007, 2012 and 2016-2017 are the most productive years regarding publications in this particular field; the number of citations has been increasing over the years. The study also found that Nanyang Polytechnic University is the most productive research institution and Blanca Martins from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia is the most prolific researcher in this specific field. Originality/value This study provides a detailed bibliometric analysis of KM literature published in the field of library and information science. This study is an excellent example for researchers who are interested in conducting bibliometric studies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 333-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Macdonald ◽  
Briony Birdi

Purpose Neutrality is a much debated value in library and information science (LIS). The “neutrality debate” is characterised by opinionated discussions in contrasting contexts. The purpose of this paper is to fill a gap in the literature by bringing these conceptions together holistically, with potential to deepen understanding of LIS neutrality. Design/methodology/approach First, a literature review identified conceptions of neutrality reported in the LIS literature. Second, seven phenomenographic interviews with LIS professionals were conducted across three professional sectors. To maximise variation, each sector comprised at least one interview with a professional of five or fewer years’ experience and one with ten or more years’ experience. Third, conceptions from the literature and interviews were compared for similarities and disparities. Findings In four conceptions, each were found in the literature and interviews. In the literature, these were labelled: “favourable”, “tacit value”, “social institutions” and “value-laden profession”, whilst in interviews they were labelled: “core value”, “subservient”, “ambivalent”, and “hidden values”. The study’s main finding notes the “ambivalent” conception in interviews is not captured by a largely polarised literature, which oversimplifies neutrality’s complexity. To accommodate this complexity, it is suggested that future research should look to reconcile perceptions from either side of the “neutral non-neutral divide” through an inclusive normative framework. Originality/value This study’s value lies in its descriptive methodology, which brings LIS neutrality together in a holistic framework. This framework brings a contextual awareness to LIS neutrality lacking in previous research. This awareness has the potential to change the tone of the LIS neutrality debate.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Ellen Frederick

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to challenge librarians to reconceptualize their professional self-image and practice so that it more closely aligns with the information science discipline that is part of the Masters of Library and Information Science degree. Design/methodology/approach This column is primarily theoretical and philosophical but also draws on the author’s observations of trends and patterns in both librarianship and changes in information needs in recent years. Findings Urgent, high-cost information needs created by COVID-19 and climate change coexist in a reality where technological change has made traditional librarian roles and functions less critical. By developing their information science skills and strengthening their professional identity as information scientists, librarians have the opportunity to address the urgent information needs of the day while remaining highly relevant professionals. Practical implications Librarians will need to strengthen their science-related skills and knowledge and begin to promote themselves as information scientists. Social implications Librarians are in a position to make a meaningful contribution to two of the most pressing challenges of the day, climate change and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Originality/value This paper is relevant to all librarians at any stage of their career. It will help them to reflect on both their skillset and career path and to make any needed adjustments so that they can remain relevant in a volatile and demanding information environment.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
JJ Pionke

PurposeThis article presents a secondary analysis of previously published data in order to drive discussion of the library profession’s current state of preparedness in working with patrons with disabilities.Design/methodology/approachThis article used a secondary analysis of survey data that have been previously published to determine what the continuum of data said about the current state of preparedness in the profession when working with people with disabilities.FindingsA comparison of the data from both surveys reveals that there are not only gaps in library graduate school education related to disability and accessibility but also that those gaps are not being addressed through professional development and staff training after students enter the workforce.Research limitations/implicationsThis was a secondary analysis of data, so no new data could be added. There was also no representation from library graduate school administration.Practical implicationsAn awareness is built that there needs to be more instruction for library graduate students and library employees on topics related to disability, accessibility and assistive technologies.Originality/valueThe topic has never been studied before in this kind of continuum of data, and the use of the secondary analysis of data with the library and information science profession is exceedingly rare.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramesh Pandita ◽  
Shivendra Singh

Purpose This study aims to find out the average journal packing density (JPD) of Library and Information Science (LIS) research journals published across the world. The concept, JPD, means the average number of research articles published by a research journal in one volume. Accordingly, the undergoing study evaluates the average number of research articles published in each volume of each research journal published in the field of LIS at the global level. Some other key aspects evaluated include the number of LIS research journal publishing countries, average JPD of LIS research journals at the continental level, etc. Design/methodology/approach This study is purely based on secondary data retrieved from SCImago, which is SCOPUS data. Keeping in view the objectives of this study, the data about research articles published in all LIS research journals during the period 2015 through 2019 were retrieved to undertake the study. Findings From the data analysis, it emerged that 256 research journals duly indexed by SCOPUS are published in the field of LIS across 36 countries. In all 48,596 research articles were published from 2015 to 2019 in these research journals at an average of 44.71 research articles per journal per volume. More than 75% of LIS research journals are published from Germany, Spain, Netherlands, the USA and the UK. Research journals published from the USA have higher JPD of 53.09 research articles per journal per volume, which is 18.74% higher than the average global JPD of LIS research journals. 50% of LIS research journal publishing countries are from Europe and the majority 52.55% LIS research articles were published in European LIS research journals. The average JPD of LIS research journals published from North America is 51.73 research articles per journal per volume, which is the highest across continents. Research limitations/implications Standardization of JPD of research journals irrespective of the subject discipline they are published in is important for many reasons and the foremost being, such standardization helps in keeping at bay the predatory research journals, which normally float such packing density norms, with the sole aim to earn money in the shape of manuscript handling charges, thereby publishing a far greater number of research article in each issue of a journal than the average research articles published by a research journal. Originality/value Very few studies have been conducted around the concept JPD, especially by the authors of this particular study. This study has however been particularized to the LIS subject discipline, while the findings add to existing lot of study already undertaken, hence outcome can be generalized.


2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabishankar Giri

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of selected factors in journal citations. Various factors can affect citations distribution of journals. Among them, skewness of citations distribution, author self-citation, journal self-citation and recitations (RCs) have been studied. Design/methodology/approach The present study based on 16 systematically selected journals indexed in Scopus under the subject category “Library and Information Science.” The study was confined to original research and review articles that were published in the selected journals in the year 2011. The temporal citation window from 2011 to 2014 was taken for analysis. Tools like, Scopus author ID, ORCID and author profiles from Google Scholar were used to minimize the error due to homonyms, spelling variances and misspelling in authors’ names. Findings It is found that citations distribution in majority of the journals under the study is highly skewed and more likely to follow log-normal distribution. The nature of authorship in papers was found to have positive effect on citation counts. Self-citing data show that higher ranked journals have rather less direct impact on total citation counts than their lower counterpart. RCs are also found to be more in top-tier journals. Though the influence of self-citations and RCs were relatively less at individual level on total citations of journals but combined, they can play a dominant role and can affect total citation counts of journals at significant level. Research limitations/implications The present study is based on Scopus database only. Therefore, citation data can be affected by the inherent limitation of Scopus. Readers are encouraged to further the study by taking into account large sample and tracing citations from an array of citation indexes, such as Web of Science, Google citations, Indian Citation Index, etc. Originality/value This paper reinforces that the citations received by journals can be affected by the factors selected in this study. Therefore, the study provides better understanding of the role of these selected factors in journal citations.


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