Bibliometric Analysis of Library Science Periodicals (2021–2023): Validating Bradford’s Law

Abstract

Using the Bradford Law, this study analyzes the productivity of citations in the Journal of Library and Information Science Periodicals published in 2021-2023. The purpose of this study is to identify core journals that are frequently cited in scientific articles. Data was taken from the reference list containing 939 citations of articles published during the study period. The results showed that the Journal of Library and Information Science was the most frequently cited core journal, with the division of journals into three zones based on citation frequency. The Leimkuhler model was used to verify the validity of the Bradford Law in citation distribution. This study concludes that the Bradford Law is applicable and helpful in identifying core journals and citation patterns, which helps to understand citation behavior in the library and information science field. In addition, the results show that the Library and Information Science Periodical Journal plays a vital role in this discipline, as it is consistently the primary source of citations. The methodology used proved the effectiveness of the Bradford Law in analyzing journal productivity and its potential in bibliometric studies.