Main Article Content
A Citation Analysis of Sub-Saharan African Library and Information Science Journals using Google Scholar
Abstract
In bibliometrics, the numbers of research articles and citations constitute the main measurement indicators of research output and impact respectively. This study evaluates the library and information science/studies (LIS) journals published in sub-Saharan African countries in
order to assess their performance. Drawing its data from Google Scholar, the paper compares the performance of 13 LIS journals using the following indicators: number of publications; average number of records; number of citations; citations per year; citations per article; citedness and uncitedness of the records published in each journal; h-index and g-index; and citation impact factor. The paper also identifies journals with the most cited works and ranks the journals according to the above measurement indicators. Results indicate that publication of LIS journals in Sub-Saharan Africa is a relatively recent practice; a number of journals have not published any issues for close to 5 years; some journals have ceased publication; there is irregular publication of journals; there are about five core LIS journals in the region; AJLAIS was the most highly cited journal, but the most influential journals in terms of the IF include SAJLIS, Innovation and Mousaion. The challenges faced by journal publishers and researchers in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as recommendations on improving the visibility and impact of journals in the region and internationally, are outlined.
order to assess their performance. Drawing its data from Google Scholar, the paper compares the performance of 13 LIS journals using the following indicators: number of publications; average number of records; number of citations; citations per year; citations per article; citedness and uncitedness of the records published in each journal; h-index and g-index; and citation impact factor. The paper also identifies journals with the most cited works and ranks the journals according to the above measurement indicators. Results indicate that publication of LIS journals in Sub-Saharan Africa is a relatively recent practice; a number of journals have not published any issues for close to 5 years; some journals have ceased publication; there is irregular publication of journals; there are about five core LIS journals in the region; AJLAIS was the most highly cited journal, but the most influential journals in terms of the IF include SAJLIS, Innovation and Mousaion. The challenges faced by journal publishers and researchers in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as recommendations on improving the visibility and impact of journals in the region and internationally, are outlined.
