Scholarly Research on Serendipitous Retrieval of Information (Information Encountering): A Bibliometric Analysis of Literature Indexed in Scopus

Authors

Waqar Ahmad Awan Dr., Department of Information Management, University of Sargodha, SargodhaFollow
Kanwal Ameen Dr., University of Home EconomicsFollow
Saira Hanif Soroya Dr., Department of Information Management, University of the Punjab, LahoreFollow

Date of this Version

2-28-2021

Document Type

Article

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to map literature on accidental discovery (information encountering), and present its quantitative analysis. To achieve the purpose of the study, data from Scopus database was used. Productivity and quality of top authors, institutions and countries was investigated. Additionally, top journals and their selection by top authors was also investigated. Findings of the study indicated that the term, theory, and model of information encountering originated from the USA, and was later spilled across the world. The USA remained the most cited and most impactful country. American scholar Erdelez, who was affiliated with the University of Missouri, remained the most prolific author. Journal of Documentation is the top publication that accommodates studies related to the concept of information encountering. The study has implications for researchers, research organizations, and the countries interested in exploring the field of information encountering.