Citation Analysis Methodologies for Collection Management

Amy Kumar

Hoffman, K. and Doucette, L. (2012). A review of citation analysis methodologies for collection management. College and Research Libraries. 321-334.

Summary
This paper reviews the most relevant methodologies with regard to reviews of user study-based citation analyses "with a goal of informing collection management" (Hoffman & Doucette, 321). Described as a bibliometric method, citation analysis has been used for informing the collection development process in various ways, and involves taking a close look at citation popularity and scholarly communication trends to determine the efficacy of a collection for its scholarly patron base. According to the study, "the information can help librarians design and improve services and resources, from instruction to collections to reference" (Hoffman & Doucette, 321). Studying the most frequently cited references provides insight to collection managers and helps them to create a collection based on the most relevant and necessary materials. The methodology included a user study based on article citations, database bibliometrics, date range samples of citations, and abstract reviews. The final analysis was qualitative and researchers took note of themes of the results.
Analysis
Bibliometrics are a fascinating tool that can provide great insight into scholarly communication trends from the standpoint of an academic librarian rather than from a scholarly viewpoint.  The data received can help define trends, patterns, and current issues, and point the way toward a thoroughly vetted collection and collection development policy. I think it was important that the researchers pointed out in their conclusion that there are many local factors to consider, and that collection managers should be aware of comparison studies and be able to apply the data to their own libraries. The most common results given throughout the various studies that were analyzed seemed to concern citation date, frequency, holdings, and citations per publication. This data provides a handy starting point for those collection managers wanting to utilize citation analysis.