Practitioners and academics as authors and readers: the case of LIS journals

Christian Schlögl · Wolfgang G. Stock

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scientometrics and bibliometrics research Library Science and Information Publishing and Scholarly Communication

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between practitioners and academics in scholarly communication in library and information science (LIS) journals. Design/methodology/approach The research is based on a reader survey, a citation analysis and an editor survey. The reader survey identifies both differences in journal rankings between practitioners and academics and the contribution of practitioners to LIS journals. The editor survey provides the proportions of practitioners and academics for the journals. The citation analysis shows the disparities in information exchange between the journals mainly preferred by practitioners and those more favoured by academics. Furthermore, it is possible to explore if practitioner journals differ from academic journals in the citation indicators and in other data collected in the editor survey. Findings It is found that: practitioners play an active role both as readers and as authors of articles in LIS journals; there is only a low level of information exchange between practitioner and academic journals; the placement of advertisements, the size of the editorial board, requirements concerning an extensive bibliography, the number and the half‐life of the references show a clear distinction between practitioner and academic journals. Interestingly, the impact factor did not turn out to be a good indicator to differentiate a practitioner from an academic journal. Research limitations/implications This research is only exploratory because it is based on separate studies previously conducted. Further research is also needed to explore the relationship between practitioners and academics more deeply. Originality/value The value of this paper lies in bringing together the findings from complementary studies (reader survey, editor survey and citation analysis) and identifying hypotheses for future research, especially with regards to the roles of and interactions between LIS practitioners and academics in scholarly communication.

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References

2009In the Eyes of the Beholder 2004Are managers from Mars and academicians from venus? Toward an understanding of the relationship between academic quality and practical relevance 2002Journal Evaluation: Technical and Practical Issues 2005The Perception of Library and Information Science Journals by LIS Education Deans and ARL Library Directors: A Replication of the Kohl–Davis Study 2006The Thomson Scientific journal selection process.2004Impact and relevance of LIS journals: A scientometric analysis of international and German‐language LIS journals—Citation analysis versus reader survey 1999JASIS and library and information science journal rankings: A review and analysis of the last half-century 1992Information science and scientists: JASIS, 1972-1990

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2011The research-practice relationship in ergonomics and human factors – surveying and bridging the gap 2015Disciplinary, national, and departmental contributions to the literature of library and information science, 2007–2012 2014Worldwide contributors to the literature of library and information science: top authors, 2007–2012 2016Characteristics of Articles Coauthored by Researchers and Practitioners in Library and Information Science Journals

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