White HD, McCain KW, "Visualizing a discipline: An author co-citation analysis of information science, 1972-1995" JASIST 49(4):327-355, April 1998

[Eugene Garfield]

E-Mail: whitehd at drexel.edu
kate.mccain at cis.drexel.edu

THE AUTHOR HAS PERMITTED ACCESS TO FULL TEXT OF THIS ARTICLE AT: 
http://garfield.library.upenn.edu/hwhite/whitejasist1998.pdf 

Title: Visualizing a discipline: An author co-citation analysis of 
information science, 1972-1995

Author(s): White HD, McCain KW 

Source: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE    
49(4): 327-355, April 1998   

Times Cited: 135     References: 59     

Abstract: This study presents an extensive domain analysis of a discipline-
information science-in terms of its authors. Names of those most frequently 
cited in 12 key journals from 1972 through 1995 were retrieved from Social 
Scisearch via DIALOG. The top 120 were submitted to author co-citation 
analyses, yielding automatic classifications relevant to histories of the 
field. Tables and graphics reveal: (1) The disciplinary and institutional 
affiliations of contributors to information science; (2) the specialty 
structure of the discipline over 24 years; (3) authors' memberships in 1 or 
more specialties; (4) inertia and change in authors' positions on e-
dimensional subject maps over 3 8-year subperiods, 1972-1979, 1980-1987, 
1988-1995; (5) the 2 major subdisciplines of information science and their 
evolving memberships; (6) "canonical" authors who are in the top 100 in all 
three subperiods; (7) changes in authors' eminence and influence over the 
subperiods, as shown by mean co-citation counts; (8) authors with marked 
changes in their mapped positions over the subperiods; (9) the axes on 
which authors are mapped, with interpretations; (10)evidence of a paradigm 
shift in information science in the 1980s; and (11)evidence on the general 
nature and state of integration of information science. Statistical 
routines include ALSCAL, INDSCAL, factor analysis, and cluster analysis 
with SPSS; maps and other graphics were made with DeltaGraph. Theory and 
methodology are sufficiently detailed to be usable by other researchers.

Document Type: Article 
Language: English 

Addresses: White, HD (reprint author), Drexel Univ, Coll Informat Sci & 
Technol, 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
Drexel Univ, Coll Informat Sci & Technol, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA 

Publisher: JOHN WILEY & SONS INC, 605 THIRD AVE, NEW YORK, NY 10158-0012 
USA 

IDS Number: ZB384 
ISSN: 0002-8231