Measuring the growth and impact of library and information science research in India: a multidimensional scientometric assessment
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide insight into Library and Information Science (LIS) research in India using scientometric approaches. Web of Science (WoS) and SCOPUS databases were used for data retrieval. The study examines productivity in terms of source types, gender distribution, document formats, authorship and other factors. In addition, this study sought to identify trends or patterns in the research preferences of LIS scientists through text analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were downloaded from the WoS and Scopus databases over 22 years and analysed using VOSviewer, Orange, Biblioshiny and CRExplorer softwares.
Findings
The findings reveal that 5,692 out of the 9,384 documents in both databases underwent the final examination. In total, 466 different sources produced all of those papers. Author analysis revealed that 6,603 different authors authored 5,692 documents. There were 4,209 male and 1,063 female authors. Furthermore, India shares maximum collaborations with the USA and England. The spectrogram features nine significant peaks corresponding to Lotka’s, Bradford’s and similar laws. Text analysis revealed that Indian LIS researchers have consistently investigated open access and digital or open libraries.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this study will provide readers with a better understanding of India’s contribution to LIS. In addition, the study will help academics identify research gaps and undiscovered areas in the Indian context that require further investigation.
Originality/value
Not many studies highlight Indian research trends and international collaboration in LIS. This study highlights research trends, collaboration and gender productivity in LIS. The most cited references and trending topics were also identified using reference publication year spectroscopy and text analysis techniques.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors express heartfelt gratitude to the anonymous reviewers and the editor for their invaluable comments and suggestions, which significantly enhanced the quality of the earlier draft of this manuscript. Their constructive feedback has played a pivotal role in refining and strengthening the content.
Funding and/or Competing interests: No funding was received to assist with preparing this manuscript. The authors have no competing interests to declare relevant to this article’s content.
Since submission of this article, the following author has updated their affiliation: Basharat Ahmad Malik is at the Department of School Education, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Citation
, M.M., Malik, B.A. and Khan, N. (2024), "Measuring the growth and impact of library and information science research in India: a multidimensional scientometric assessment", Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-04-2023-0126
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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