[Asis-l] New Publication Available

[GSLIS Publications Office]

Now available from the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library
and Information Science Publications Office:

Library Trends, 50(3), Winter 2002
"Current Theory in Library and Information Science" edited by William E.
McGrath

Single copies are $25, including postage. Subscription rates for the
quarterly are: Institutional, $94 per volume ($101 for international
subscribers); Individual, $66 per volume ($73 for international
subscribers); and Student, $28 per volume ($35 for international
subscribers). ISSN 0024-2594 Order single copies or subscriptions from the
University of Illinois Press, Journals Department, 1325 S. Oak Street,
Champaign, IL 61820; 1-866-244-0626; fax: 217-244-9910; e-mail:
journals at uillinois.edu.

Whatever theory is, it is many things to many people. In physics and other
exact sciences, the meaning of theory is well understood, with much
agreement. In the arts and humanities, there are as many theories (perhaps
better denoted as opinions) as individuals, with universal disagreement.
In Library and Information Science (LIS), there is little formal theory to
agree or disagree on. Yet there is extensive reference to theory in LIS
literature, whether from a well-informed intent to place LIS on a more
rigorous foundation, or from a naive effort to sound more scientific. In
an extensive content analysis of 1,160 articles in six LIS journals,
Pettigrew & McKechnie (2001), found that 396 "incorporated theory in
either the title, abstract or text" (p. 66).
	
The papers in this issue can be grouped into two categories. The first
contains those papers about theory. These papers discuss concepts,
meanings, and definitions of theory. The group also contains surveys of
theory and literature reviews. The distinction between them is blurry and
some may contain all of these approaches. The second group, in general,
contains original research. These papers bear little resemblance to each
other and all are unique. They are all difficult and require careful
reading to recognize their relevance to LIS or their potential for
practical application. With exceptions, papers about theory contain a
substantial number of references, while those offering specific theories
contain relatively fewer references. 

--From the Introduction by William E. McGrath

Reference
Pettigrew, K. E., & McKechnie, L. (E. F.). (2001). The use of theory in
information science research. Journal of the American Society for
Information Science and Technology, 52(1), 62-73.

Articles and Authors Include:
"A Multidisciplinary Framework for Theory Building," Jack D. Glazier and
Robert Grover

"The Progress of Theory in Knowledge Organization," Richard P. Smiraglia

"Explanation and Prediction: Building a Unified Theory of Librarianship,
Concept and Review," William E. McGrath

"Informetric Theories and Methods for Exploring the Internet: An
Analytical Survey of Recent Research Literature," Judit Bar-Ilan and Bluma
C. Peritz

"Solving Problems in Library and Information Science Using Fuzzy Set
Theory," William W. Hood and Concepcion S. Wilson

"Surveying the Use of Theory in Library and Information Science Research:
A Disciplinary Perspective," Lynne (E. F.) McKechnie and Karen E.
Pettigrew

"Journal Evaluation: Technical and Practical Issues," Ronald Rousseau

"Ranking of Nations and Heightened Competition in Matthew Core Journals:
Two Faces of the Matthew Effect for 
Countries," Manfred Bonitz

"Coauthorship Patterns and Trends in the Sciences (1980–1998): A
Bibliometric Study With Implications for Database Indexing and Search
Strategies," Wolfgang Glanzel

"Similarities and Dissimilarities in Coauthorship Networks: Gestalt Theory
as Explanation for Well-ordered Collaboration Structures and Production
of Scientific Literature," Hildrun Kretschmer

"Towards Research Performance in the Humanities," Henk F. Moed, Marc
Luwel, and A. J. Nederhof

"A Theory of Information Genetics: How Four Subforces Generate Information
and the Implications for Total Quality Knowledge Management," Bor-sheng
Tsai

"The Institutionalization of Scientific Information: A Scientometric Model
(ISI-S Model)," Peter Vinkler

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