Sherriff, G. 2010. Information Use in History Research: A Citation Analysis of Master's Level Theses. PORTAL-LIBRARIES AND THE ACADEMY

[Eugene Garfield]

Sherriff, G. 2010. Information Use in History Research: A Citation Analysis of 
Master's Level Theses. PORTAL-LIBRARIES AND THE ACADEMY 10 (2):165-183.


Abstract This article addresses the need for quantitative investigation into 
students' use of information resources in historical research. It reports the results 
of a citation analysis of more than 3,000 citations from master's level history 
theses submitted between 1998 and 2008 at a mid-sized public university. The 
study's results support the hypotheses that the predominant format in history 
research is the monograph and that history research entails use of older 
resources, and in greater proportions, than other disciplines. Results also support 
the conclusions that journal usage is comparatively low and that there is a high 
degree of citation dispersal across journal titles.


ISSN 1531-2542
restricted access URL: 
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/portal_libraries_and_the_academy/summary/v010/10
.2.sherriff.html