Visualizing Library and Information Science concept spaces through keyword and citation based maps and clusters
Fredrik Åström · Lund University Publications (Lund University) · 2002
Co-citation analysis has been widely accepted as the foremost method for bibliometric mapping of research fields, whereas analyses based on keywords has been discussed, without gaining any overall acceptance. There is, however advantages with keywords, such as being understandable by others than those immediately connected to the field analyzed. This study aims at testing the relation between keyword and citation based analyses, and showing the significance of journal selection while mapping scientific fields. The preliminary study is based on 1135 SSCI records from nine LIS journals with descriptors added from the ERIC database. Three maps are compared: one based on co-citations, one on keyword co-occurrences, one merging citations and keywords. The mappings show the same basic structures, and when merged, cited authors and keywords form corresponding relations. In comparison with earlier bibliometric studies, the wider journal selection makes it possible to identify a Library Science research area within LIS.