Searching for bridges between disciplines: an author co-citation analysis on the research into scholarly communication

Abstract

An author co-citation analysis (ACA) on the research into scholarly communication in sociology of science and in information science within a 20-year period is presented. The question at issue is: to what extent and in what ways the research on scholarly communication brings together the sociology of science and information science, i.e. if the research on scholarly communication acts as a bridge between these two disciplines. It is natural to think of the research on scholarly communication as a common field for these two disciplines, but, by analysing the co-citations accorded to the researchers within both disciplines, one can define the intensity of the relationship or whether it really exists. The ACA suggests that the research of scholarly communication is not enough to be their common denomi nator: sociologists and information scientists mostly stay in their own respective territories. Finally, as the feasibility of ACA is evaluated in the light of the results, the weaknesses of the method become evident.