A Review of Citation Analysis Methodologies for Collection Development
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-2012
Volume
73
Issue
4
Journal
College and Research Libraries
First Page
321
Last Page
335
Abstract
While there is a considerable body of literature that presents the results of citation analysis studies, most researchers do not provide enough detail in their methodology to reproduce the study, nor do they provide rationale for methodological decisions. In this paper, we review the methodologies used in 34 recent articles that present a “user study” citation analysis with a goal of informing collection management. We describe major themes and outliers in the methodologies and discuss factors that require careful thought and analysis. We also provide a guide to considerations for citation analysis studies, so that researchers can make informed decisions.
