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Two decades of "Scientometrics". An interdisciplinary field represented by its leading journal

Author

Listed:
  • Urs Schoepflin

    (Max Planck Institute for the History of Science
    Research Association for Science Communication and Information e. V. (RASCI)Frankfurt/Oder)

  • Wolfgang Glänzel

    (Research Association for Science Communication and Information e. V. (RASCI)Frankfurt/Oder
    Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

The development of the field of bibliometric and scientometric research is analysed byquantitative methods to answer the following questions: (1) Is bibliometrics evolving from a softscience field towards rather hard (social) sciences (Schubert-Maczelka hypothesis)? (2) Canbibliometrics be characterised as a social science field with stable characteristics(Wouters-Leydesdorff hypothesis)? (3) Is bibliometrics a heterogeneous field, the sub-disciplinesof which have their own characteristics? Are these sub-disciplines more and more consolidating,and are predominant sub-disciplines impressing their own characteristics upon the whole field(Glänzel-Schoepflin hypothesis)? The Price Index per paper, the percentage of references toserials, the mean references age, and the mean reference rate are calculated based on all articlesand their respective references in Scientometrics in 1980, 1989, and 1997. The articles areclassified in six categories. The findings suggest, that the field is in fact heterogeneous, and eachsub-discipline has its own characteristics. While the contribution of these sub-disciplines inScientometrics was still well-balanced in 1980, papers dealing with case studies and methodologybecame dominant by 1997.

Suggested Citation

  • Urs Schoepflin & Wolfgang Glänzel, 2001. "Two decades of "Scientometrics". An interdisciplinary field represented by its leading journal," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 50(2), pages 301-312, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:50:y:2001:i:2:d:10.1023_a:1010577824449
    DOI: 10.1023/A:1010577824449
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. L. Egghe, 1997. "Price index and its relation to the mean and median reference age," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 48(6), pages 564-573, June.
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    1. Qian Wang & Shixian Luo & Jiao Zhang & Katsunori Furuya, 2022. "Increased Attention to Smart Development in Rural Areas: A Scientometric Analysis of Smart Village Research," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-28, August.
    2. Bluma C. Peritz & Judit Bar-Ilan, 2002. "The sources used by bibliometrics-scientometrics as reflected in references," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 54(2), pages 269-284, June.
    3. Dutt Bharvi & K. C. Garg & Anita Bali, 2003. "Scientometrics of the international journal Scientometrics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 56(1), pages 81-93, January.
    4. Yunwei Chen & Katy Börner & Shu Fang, 2013. "Evolving collaboration networks in Scientometrics in 1978–2010: a micro–macro analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 95(3), pages 1051-1070, June.
    5. Mark William Neff & Elizabeth A. Corley, 2009. "35 years and 160,000 articles: A bibliometric exploration of the evolution of ecology," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 80(3), pages 657-682, September.
    6. András Schubert, 2002. "The Web of Scientometrics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 53(1), pages 3-20, January.
    7. Feifei Wang & Junping Qiu & Houqiang Yu, 2012. "Research on the cross-citation relationship of core authors in scientometrics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 91(3), pages 1011-1033, June.

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