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The association of disciplinary background with the evolution of topics and methods in Library and Information Science research 1995–2015

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  • Pertti Vakkari
  • Kalervo Järvelin
  • Yu‐Wei Chang

Abstract

The paper reports a longitudinal analysis of the topical and methodological development of Library and Information Science (LIS). Its focus is on the effects of researchers' disciplines on these developments. The study extends an earlier cross‐sectional study (Vakkari et al., Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 2022a, 73, 1706–1722) by a coordinated dataset representing a content analysis of articles published in 31 scholarly LIS journals in 1995, 2005, and 2015. It is novel in its coverage of authors' disciplines, topical and methodological aspects in a coordinated dataset spanning two decades thus allowing trend analysis. The findings include a shrinking trend in the share of LIS from 67 to 36% while Computer Science, and Business and Economics increase their share from 9 and 6% to 21 and 16%, respectively. The earlier cross‐sectional study (Vakkari et al., Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 2022a, 73, 1706–1722) for the year 2015 identified three topical clusters of LIS research, focusing on topical subfields, methodologies, and contributing disciplines. Correspondence analysis confirms their existence already in 1995 and traces their development through the decades. The contributing disciplines infuse their concepts, research questions, and approaches to LIS and may also subsume vital parts of LIS in their own structures of knowledge production.

Suggested Citation

  • Pertti Vakkari & Kalervo Järvelin & Yu‐Wei Chang, 2023. "The association of disciplinary background with the evolution of topics and methods in Library and Information Science research 1995–2015," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 74(7), pages 811-827, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jinfst:v:74:y:2023:i:7:p:811-827
    DOI: 10.1002/asi.24757
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Pertti Vakkari & Yu‐Wei Chang & Kalervo Järvelin, 2022. "Disciplinary contributions to research topics and methodology in Library and Information Science—Leading to fragmentation?," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(12), pages 1706-1722, December.
    2. Jinxuan Ma & Brady Lund, 2021. "The evolution and shift of research topics and methods in library and information science," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 72(8), pages 1059-1074, August.
    3. Pertti Vakkari & Yu-Wei Chang & Kalervo Järvelin, 2022. "Largest contribution to LIS by external disciplines as measured by the characteristics of research articles," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(8), pages 4499-4522, August.
    4. Yu‐Wei Chang & Mu‐Hsuan Huang, 2012. "A study of the evolution of interdisciplinarity in library and information science: Using three bibliometric methods," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 63(1), pages 22-33, January.
    5. Yu-Wei Chang, 2018. "Examining interdisciplinarity of library and information science (LIS) based on LIS articles contributed by non-LIS authors," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(3), pages 1589-1613, September.
    6. Cristóbal Urbano & Jordi Ardanuy, 2020. "Cross-disciplinary collaboration versus coexistence in LIS serials: analysis of authorship affiliations in four European countries," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(1), pages 575-602, July.
    7. Yu-Wei Chang & Mu-Hsuan Huang, 2012. "A study of the evolution of interdisciplinarity in library and information science: Using three bibliometric methods," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 63(1), pages 22-33, January.
    8. Yu-Wei Chang, 2019. "Are articles in library and information science (LIS) journals primarily contributed to by LIS authors?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 121(1), pages 81-104, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kaisa Ylikruuvi & Kalervo Järvelin & Pertti Vakkari & Martti Juhola, 2025. "Comparing representations of a discipline derived through LDA vs. intellectual content analysis: the case of information science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 130(8), pages 4309-4337, August.

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