Review articles in library and information science: trends in number, type, topics, and author seniority

Yu-Wei Chang () and I-Hsiu Wu ()
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Yu-Wei Chang: National Taiwan University
I-Hsiu Wu: National Taiwan University

Scientometrics, 2025, vol. 130, issue 9, No 9, 4995-5015

Abstract: Abstract The present study analyzed 1102 review articles from library and information science journals that were published between 1956 and 2021, examining the publications’ contributions to various topics and categories. This study examined the career stages of publishing authors by focusing on a subset of 752 review articles published between 1996 and 2021 for which data on academic age, defined as the length of time an author had been engaged in publishing research, were available. Our findings revealed a predominance of narrative reviews, with “collection development” being the most frequently reviewed topic. However, the number of published systematic reviews increased considerably after 2015, surpassing the number of narrative reviews in 2021. Additionally, the percentage of review articles published on “informetrics” exhibited consistent annual increases, whereas the percentages of review articles published on other topics did not. Although experienced scholars are often considered ideal candidates for writing review articles, attracting contributions from such authors remains challenging for journal publishers. This study indicated that junior researchers were the predominant authors of review articles and frequently collaborated with midcareer and senior researchers. In particular, junior researchers mainly served as the first authors of review articles across various topics. Future research should investigate why junior researchers are heavily involved in writing review articles and explore the factors influencing review article topic selection.

Keywords: Categories of review articles; Library and information science; Career stages; First author; Topics of review articles (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s11192-025-05414-y

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