scientometrics
本研究利用論文間的共被引分析探討1990到2004年間圖書資訊學(LIS)的研究前沿(research front)的改變，了解這個學科目前的處境與發展趨勢。分析資料為21種LIS期刊。將同時間內具有影響力的共被引文章定義為研究前沿(research fronts)，並且分為三個5年期間，分析領域的改變。研究結果發現LIS由兩個不同研究領域構成的穩定結構：資訊計量學(informetrics)和資訊搜尋與檢索(information seeking and retrieval)，由於分享研究興趣與方法，資訊檢索與資訊計量學有靠近的傾向。而網路為主的研究成為資訊計量學和資訊搜尋與檢索的主要研究則是這個領域的主要變化。
本研究採用的期刊來源為JCR (2003) 的Information Science & Library Science分類下的55種期刊。去除主要是被非LIS期刊引用的期刊以及評論性或商業性期刊後，選擇1990到2004年間有出版的期刊，如下表共21種。
論文的總數為13605筆，從中選取最高被引用的論文，建立共被引次數矩陣。以多維尺度演算法(multidimensional scaling algorithm, MDS)進行處理。
首先是研究基礎(research base)部分，從13605筆論文資料的221586次引用(150145篇參考文獻)中，選取被引用超過50次的文獻，共66筆進行分析。其共被引映射圖如FIG 1.:
資訊搜尋與檢索從早期的系統導向資訊檢索(systems-oriented information retrieval)發展到使用者-系統互動研究(user-system interaction studies)和資訊行為(information behavior)。
除了網路計量學以外，資訊計量學以書目計量映射(bibliometric mapping)為中心，周圍的部分是書目計量分布(bibliometric distributions)。
為了進一步了解與核對共被引分析的結果，將共被引資料輸入叢集分析。叢集分析所產生的8個叢集符合映射圖的結構，各叢集如TABLE 2。
接下來的共被引分析，被引用的參考文獻僅限於也在13605篇論文裡的論文，來了解具有影響力的論文，做為研究脈絡(research context)。選取被引用次數超過25次的論文，共65篇。呈現的圖形大致上仍然可明顯的看出分為上半區域的資訊搜尋與檢索和下半區域的資訊計量學。但資訊檢索的研究以認知性資訊搜尋與檢索、相關性和資訊行為為主要，實驗性資訊檢索研究則成為邊緣。
相較於研究基礎，在研究脈絡上可以發現資訊計量學的結果較為分散，包含三個部分：研究合作(research collaboration)、書目計量映射與網路計量學，並且以網路計量學最為主要。
以TABLE 3的叢集結果來看，在研究脈絡中雖然實驗性資訊檢索與書目計量分布消失了，但增加了兒童的資訊行為研究和對於研究合作的資訊計量學分析。雖然這些研究依然存在，但本身並沒有形成叢集，而是歸入其他的叢集中，如IR/Search。
對三個5年的時期進行研究前沿分析，第一個時期1990-1994年，共有3401篇論文，彼此間有1581次引用，39篇論文獲得5次以上的引用。這個時期以ISR為主，特別是使用者觀點的ISR研究；資訊計量學由兩個小叢集組成：一為研究合作，另一聚焦於映射。
第二個時期1995-1999年，包含3318篇論文，彼此間的引用共有2117次，獲得5次以上引用的論文共有52篇。這時期ISR的聚集相當明顯，除了聚焦在資訊科技(information technology)和實驗性資訊檢索(experimental IR)的兩個叢聚外。在一般的資訊計量學之外，另外還有研究成效(research performance)的叢集。
第三個時期2000-2004年，有4147筆論文，彼此間有2926次的引用，62篇論文的引用次數超過7次。在這個時期，可以看出資訊計量學較前面兩個時期緊密連接，主要聚焦在網路計量學，而ISR則較前兩個時期變得較為分散，可分為三個叢集：ISR、兒童的資訊行為(children's information behaviors)以及健康資訊學(health informatics)。
本研究發現LIS有相當穩定的結構，主要為ISR及資訊計量學所構成。另外，從研究基礎上發現，大多為理論或方法學的文獻，但研究脈絡與前沿上的文獻卻以實務性的論文為主。就三個時期的研究來看，1900-1994年以圖書館與資訊服務(library and information service)為主，第二個時期則是線上資料庫與資訊尋求；第三個時期受到WWW影響，主要的研究從群體利用WWW搜尋資訊的方法到發展分析網站影響因素的方法。最後，本研究發現ISR與資訊計量學有愈來愈接近的趨勢，其原因是因為兩者都需要測量文件(或搜尋問題)之間的關係強度，並且也都對將資訊視覺化有興趣，因此彼此引用整合的機會增加。
Based on articles published in 1990–2004 in 21 library and information science (LIS) journals, a set of cocitation analyses was performed to study changes in research fronts over the last 15 years, where LIS is at now, and to discuss where it is heading.
The results show a stable structure of two distinct research fields: informetrics and information seeking and retrieval (ISR). However, experimental retrieval research and user oriented research have merged into one ISR field; and IR and informetrics also show signs of coming closer together, sharing research interests and methodologies, making informetrics research more visible in mainstream LIS research. Furthermore, the focus on the Internet, both in ISR research and in informetrics—where webometrics quickly has become a dominating research area—is an important change.
The nature and intellectual organization of LIS has been thoroughly investigated in analyses describing the general traits of LIS research, as well as mapping how LIS has been organized in different research themes (Persson, 1994; White & Griffith, 1981; White & McCain, 1998).
My approach centers on the following questions. What research topics have dominated LIS during the period 1990–2004? What changes can be observed in the topics addressed over the last 15 years? Can these changes can be used to tell us something about where LIS is heading?
Most definitions of “research fronts” explain them as groups of citing articles being clustered through bibliographic coupling (e.g., Persson, 1994), and their relations to the cited documents clustered by cocitation analysis (Garfield, 1994; Morris et al., 2003; Price, 1965). Although Persson sees the current (citing) articles as the research front and the cited documents as the research base, Garfield, for example, also includes the clusters of cocited core articles into the research front.
In addition, by analyzing the co-occurrence of highly cited documents, we also get an indication on the impact of the articles, thus expanding the definition of research fronts as including influential, as well as current research.
To identify LIS research, and to select journals for the analyses, the Journal Citation Reports: JCR Social Sciences (Thomson ISI, 2003) was used. To defining LIS research, JCR’s Information Science & Library Science classification, covering 55 journals, was used.
To limit the definition, all general LIS journals were identified and the specialized ones were excluded. This was done using the “Citing Journal” field in JCR: If the journal primarily was cited by non-LIS publications, it was excluded from the study.
The analyses were done on a document level, as opposed to an analysis on the author level. Although an author analysis provides more of an overview, the document analysis is more detailed, e.g., by not grouping documents on different topics by the same author.
The result reflects contemporary and influential research within a specific field of research, i.e., the research front.
The research base was based on the 13,605 journal articles published from 1990–2004 and their 221,586 references to 150,145 unique documents. The 66 most-cited documents that received 50 citations or more were selected for further analysis (Figure 1).
The map shows two main areas consistent with the structures found in earlier analyses on LIS (e.g., Persson, 1994; White & McCain, 1998). On the top half of the map, a group of information-seeking and retrieval (ISR) related literature is featured and on the bottom half, a group of informetrics literature. However, on the right side of the informetrics field, a group of webometric studies has formed a cluster. Webometrics is the study of the nature and properties of the World Wide Web, using informetric methodologies such as link, citation, and cluster analyses (Björneborn & Ingwersen, 2001).
In the ISR section of the map, there is a thematic shift from right to left. Systems-oriented information retrieval (IR) literature is on the far right, followed towards the left by user-system interaction studies and information behavior. In comparison to Persson (1994), the “soft” part of the IR-field has increased its impact compared to the “hard” systems-oriented IR research.
Apart from the webometric group on the far right, the informetrics field is centered on bibliometric mapping, surrounded by documents concerning bibliometric distributions.
To enhance the results of the cocitation analysis, a cluster analysis (Persson, 1994) was performed, resulting in eight clusters (Table 2). The clusters support the structures identified in the map, and reveal a division of the soft IR-research: from search- and relevance-focused documents, over cognitive IR and information seeking, to information behavior.
The publication years of the clustered documents shows four generations of research orientations, a trait also visible in the IR part of the map. The first generation of LIS research includes experimental IR, bibliometric distributions, and bibliometric mapping. The second generation of research, with references published from the early 1980s marks the increasing interest in the user side of IR, incorporating the search process and the cognitive perspective into IR and LIS research. This is followed by the relevance studies in the early 1990s; and a contemporary trend to focus on general information behavior. The most recent trend in the LIS research base is studies on World Wide Web and webometrics, dating back to the late 1990s.
The results of the second analysis show influential research areas during the period 1990–2004. It is still the same 13,605 articles providing the material, but only the 18,615 citations to articles present in the set of citing documents are analyzed. Here, as well as in the following time-sliced analysis, the self-citations were removed. Out of the 5024 unique-cited documents, the 65 articles being cited 25 times or more were selected and analyzed (Figure 2).
The general structure of the map is the same: with informetrics on the lower half and ISR on the top half. There are some differences, however. In the top half, a center has developed around “Kuhlthau, 1991” and “Ingwersen, 1996,” focusing on cognitive ISR, relevance, and information behavior, while experimental IR research has become peripheral. Different perspectives on the user-oriented research has dominated the information-seeking and retrieval field; and has together with the wider information behavior field formed a strong research area of different variations on information-seeking research.
At the same time, the informetrics field has become more dispersed, with three clearly defined subfields: research collaboration to the left, bibliometric mapping in the middle, and webometrics on the right side. In comparison with the research base, webometrics has become the dominating research area within the informetrics field.
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