A bibliometric study of bibliometric studies at South African universities

This study used bibliometric analysis as a form of meta-research to examine the practice and cognitive connections between three bibliometric user groups in South Africa. Bibliometric user groups refer to categories of university scholars who apply aspects of bibliometric analysis in their research. The first such group consists of university researchers who use bibliometrics as part of a broader specialisation in science, technology and innovation policy or the sociology of science. The second group involves researchers who specialise in library and information science; and the third group, researchers who specialise in other fields, but who use bibliometric applications in their own field of interest, very often as one-time studies. The connections between the three groups were studied through co-authorship analysis (as proxy for practice connections) and citation analysis (as proxy for cognitive connections), using the SAKnowledgebase as a data source. The latter is database of research outputs by South African universities. Although it has been found that practice connections between the three bibliometric user groups are largely lacking, the analysis of cognitive connections has shown a more promising picture. Recommendations are made regarding the establishment of a community of bibliometric practice.