Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

 

Abstract

Purpose: -The present study has been undertaken with the view to assess the Journal Packing Density (JPD) of research journals published in different subject disciplines across different continents of the world. The study evaluates the average number of research articles published in each volume of a research journal published in a particular subject discipline. The other aspects evaluated in the study include, the subject disciplines with leading JPD at the continental level, the existing difference in the JPD among subject disciplines at the continental level, leading subject disciplines having maximum JPD at the global level and more. An overall comparison has been drawn of the JPD of subject disciplines at the continental level.

Scope and Methodology: - The study is global in nature and encompasses the27 major subject disciplines across six different continents of the world. The study is based on the secondary data retrieved from the SCImago Journal and Country Ranking for the period 2013-15.

Findings: - On the date of data retrieval, 36081 research journals were found indexed by the SCImago across different continents. Of the total journals indexed by the SCOPUS, Europe emerged the leading continent to have 20336 (56.36%) research journals indexed, followed by North America with 10224 (33.48%) and Asia with 3746 (10.38%) journal indexed. The average Journal Packing Density at the global level is 101.84 research articles per journal per volume. North America leads in the average JPD with an average of 120.33 research articles per journal per volume. Asia and Europe are the other two leading continents having an average JPD of 111.81 and 95.14 research articles per journal per volume. The average JPD of South America is 55.32 research articles, Africa 46.58 research articles and Oceania 46.50 research articles per journal per volume. Chemistry, Physics & Astronomy and Multidisciplinary journals are the three leading subject disciplines to have the maximum average JPD of 266.66, 253.92 and 242.53 research articles per journal per volume.

Research Implication: - There is a considerable difference in the JPD of the research journals published among different subject discipline across different continents. The indexing of lesser number of research journals from the continents like Africa, Australia and South America can be owed to the poor quality of research journals published from various countries of these continents. Given the number of research journals indexed from continents like, Asia, Europe and North America, somewhere reflects the research prowess of these continents.

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