Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Abstract
Background and Aim: Assessment of library and information science (LIS) publications reflect the standards of LIS education and practice. It is imperative to evaluate the research productivity frequently to highlight the various patterns of LIS publications. The current study aimed to present quantitative analysis of LIS research and its bibliometric indicators produced by Pakistani authors in the year 2020.
Research Methodology: The data of publications produced by Pakistani LIS authors were searched/extracted from online sources, e.g., Google Scholar, LISTA, LISA, ResearchGate, Scopus and Web of Science. The search was limited to one-year data from January 1st 2020 to December 31st 2020. All the retrieved records were saved in a text file and later transferred to Microsoft Excel-2016 for data analysis.
Results: A total of 246 papers contributed by 649 authors (including multiple counts) with an average of 2.63 authors per document were collected. Only 10.56% of the papers were written by a single author, while the rest of the papers (n=220; 89.44%) were the result of research collaboration. Rubina Bhatti and Salman Bin Naeem were found the most productive authors with 19 papers each, followed by Haroon Idress and Muhammad Asif Naveed with 18 papers each. The analysis of documents by the institution revealed that University of Sargodha, University of the Punjab and Islamic University of Bahawalpur contributed 41, 39 and 30 papers, respectively. All 246 papers were published in 67 journals, and exactly 100 (41%) papers were published in Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal) followed by Pakistan Library and Information Science Journal (n=49). Bibliometric, Covid-19, and Information Literacy were found the top three most preferred areas of research by LIS authors of Pakistan in 2020.
Conclusion: The study exposed that research output and collaborative research in the field of LIS in Pakistan is increasing. The bibliometric studies were conducted on a high scale. The influence of Covid-19 on LIS has also been discussed significantly. Notable papers were found on information literacy, library quality and library anxiety but very few papers were found on emotional & artificial intelligence, library automation and the financial aspects of LIS. As a majority of research was contributed by the faculty, M.Phil., and Ph.D. scholars. The contribution of practicing librarians was nominal and more efforts are required to involve them in the research cycle.
Comments
This is my 30th Paper in Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal).