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Co-citation analysis and the search for invisible colleges: A methodological evaluation

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  • Markus Gmür

    (University of Konstanz)

Abstract

After 30 years of research, co-citation analysis has become the dominant method for the empirical study of the structures of scientific communication. There is a considerable variety of methods and, at the same time, a lack of methodological evaluation. This paper summarizes the present state of co-citation analysis and presents several methods of clustering references. The database used is a selection of 2,114 documents in the field of organization studies from 1986-2000. The evaluative study shows that the choice of methods has a strong impact on the results created. It also shows that the methods of cluster and factor analysis hitherto used have only a limited value in differentiating clearly between schools of scientific research - the 'invisible colleges'.

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  • Markus Gmür, 2003. "Co-citation analysis and the search for invisible colleges: A methodological evaluation," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 57(1), pages 27-57, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:57:y:2003:i:1:d:10.1023_a:1023619503005
    DOI: 10.1023/A:1023619503005
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    2. Filippo Corsini & Rafael Laurenti & Franziska Meinherz & Francesco Paolo Appio & Luca Mora, 2019. "The Advent of Practice Theories in Research on Sustainable Consumption: Past, Current and Future Directions of the Field," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-19, January.
    3. Mora, Luca & Deakin, Mark & Reid, Alasdair, 2019. "Combining co-citation clustering and text-based analysis to reveal the main development paths of smart cities," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 56-69.
    4. Henri A. Schildt & Shaker A. Zahra & Antti Sillanpää, 2006. "Scholarly Communities in Entrepreneurship Research: A Co–Citation Analysis," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(3), pages 399-415, May.
    5. William B. Gartner & Per Davidsson & Shaker A. Zahra, 2006. "Are you Talking to Me? The Nature of Community in Entrepreneurship Scholarship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(3), pages 321-331, May.
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    7. G. Steven McMillan & Debra L. Casey, 2007. "Research Note: Identifying the Invisible Colleges of the British Journal of Industrial Relations: A Bibliometric and Social Network Approach," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 45(4), pages 815-828, December.
    8. Neelam Kaushal & Neeraj Kaushik & Brijesh Sivathanu, 2021. "Workplace ostracism in various organizations: a systematic review and bibliometric analysis," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 71(4), pages 783-818, October.
    9. Centobelli, Piera & Cerchione, Roberto & Esposito, Emilio & Oropallo, Eugenio, 2021. "Surfing blockchain wave, or drowning? Shaping the future of distributed ledgers and decentralized technologies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    10. Bar-Ilan, Judit, 2008. "Informetrics at the beginning of the 21st century—A review," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 1-52.
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    12. Susan Biancani & Daniel A. McFarland & Linus Dahlander, 2014. "The Semiformal Organization," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(5), pages 1306-1324, October.

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