Intellectual structure of Library and Information Science in Iberoamerica using journal co-citation analysis: a comparative study based on Scopus and Web of Science

Abstract In this study, the intellectual structure of the Iberoamerican research on Library and Information Science was visualized, from the perspective of journal citation relations. In addition, the core journals that most influence intellectual structure were identified. The study had a comparative emphasis since data from Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection were used. Journal co-citation maps were generated to identify the journal communities. Strategic diagrams with citation and betweenness centrality measures were also generated to identify core, under development, and peripheral journals. The results showed that the intellectual structure is fragmented into communities that respond to the geographic context and language affinity. Only two journals are considered core, El Profesional de la Información and Ciência da Informação. In general, there was not much difference in the comparative analyzes between the two databases. Complementary studies are necessary to show which epistemic factors influence the current fragmentation of the intellectual structure of the Library and Information Science research in the region.