Institutional repository research 2005-2015: a trend analysis using bibliometrics and text mining

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the longitudinal trends of research in the area of institutional repositories (IR) using bibliometric and text-mining methods. Design/methodology/approach The Library and Information Science Abstracts and the Web of Science citation databases were used as data sources. A total of 603 articles published in 109 peer-reviewed journals from 2005 to 2015 were collected and analyzed. The articles were analyzed in terms of publication trends, authorship patterns and keywords and phrases appearing in the article titles and abstracts. Findings The study shows that there has been a notable growth trend in research outputs, along with more participation and collaboration among institutes and countries. The study also found significant variability in the topics covered in the literature. In a comparison of the first period of 2005-2010 and the second period of 2011-2015, new research themes and foci, including research data, data management, linked open data, students and student research and an international audience, are observed in the later period. Originality/value This paper provides a comprehensive overview of publication, authorship and research themes in the IR research field. It describes the evolution of the intellectual structure of IR as a research field.