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Obsolescence of special library periodicals: Sampling errors and utility contours

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  • B. C. Brookes

Abstract

Problems arising in the measurement of the rates of obsolescence of the sets of periodicals taken by special libraries are discussed. The relatively large errors that arise in sampling the negative exponential distribution are analyzed because they may account for some of the discrepancies reported and because they indicate the need for firmer statistical control of work on obsolescence than has yet been generally appreciated. When the rate of decline has been satisfactorily established there still remains the problem of deciding how to apply it. Issues of those periodicals that contribute most productively should be retained for a longer period than those of periodicals that contribute less. To solve this problem the concept of “utility contours” is introduced and exemplified in the design of a p % library. It is argued that no discarding policy is likely to be generally applicable: every special library must be regarded as a special case. Rather than suggest new measurements, therefore, the paper offers simple graphical techniques that are applicable to any special case.

Suggested Citation

  • B. C. Brookes, 1970. "Obsolescence of special library periodicals: Sampling errors and utility contours," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 21(5), pages 320-329, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jamest:v:21:y:1970:i:5:p:320-329
    DOI: 10.1002/asi.4630210503
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    Cited by:

    1. Ming-Yueh Tsay & Shiao-Shing Ma, 2003. "The nature and relationship between the productivity of journals and their citations in semiconductor literature," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 56(2), pages 201-222, February.
    2. Pablo Dorta-González & Emilio Gómez-Déniz, 2022. "Modeling the obsolescence of research literature in disciplinary journals through the age of their cited references," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(6), pages 2901-2931, June.
    3. Hu, Zewen & Wu, Yishan, 2014. "Regularity in the time-dependent distribution of the percentage of never-cited papers: An empirical pilot study based on the six journals," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 136-146.
    4. Pilar Valderrama & Evaristo Jiménez-Contreras & Manuel Escabias & Mariano J. Valderrama, 2022. "Introducing a bibliometric index based on factor analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(1), pages 509-522, January.

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