Bibliometrics, Citation Analysis and Co-Citation Analysis: A Review of Literature I

Abstract

Although the coinage of the term Bibliometrics is fairly recent, its usage and practice can be traced back to the 1890's. Bibliometrics has been used vastly äs a quantitative method for evaluating the literature in different disciplines, particularly in the last two de-cades. This artide is intended to review bibliometrics and one of its major methods citation analysis in two different parts: the ftrst part of this artide aims to present a background of the bibliometrics and citation analysis. The applications of dtation analysis are also studied in this part. In the second part of this article: document and author co-citation analysis äs well äs journal-by-jour-nal and country-by-country citation analysis are studied. Mapping science äs an application of co-citation analysis is also studied. finally the limitations, problems and reliability and validity of dtation analysis äs a research method will be considered.