Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Reflections on a deflection: A note on different causes of the Groos droop

  • Published:
Scientometrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper different aspects that cause the so-called Groos droop, are investigated. We start from pure Bradfordian data (i.e. without a Groos droop) and discuss what actions can cause a deflection on the Bradford-Leimkuhler curve. It is, of course, well-known, that incompleteness of the data is one aspect, but we show that taking unions of pure Bradfordian bibliographies can also yield a bibliography with a Groos droop. As such, a Groos droop can always be expected in interdisciplinary bibliographies.

In this way we suggest an explanation for the experimental differences between the micro-and macro-curves obtained byBonitz andSchmidt (Scientometrics, 4 (1982) 283.). In conclusion we may say that the Groos droop can be explained through Bradford's law and hence that they do not contradict each other.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. B. O. ADENAIKE, Bibliometric studies on a protein-rich crop — the cowpea,Journal of Information Science, 4 (1982) 117.

    Google Scholar 

  2. W. O. AIYEPEKU, The Bradford distribution theory: the compounding of Bradford periodical literatures in geography,Journal of Documentation, 33(3) (1977) 210.

    Google Scholar 

  3. A. BOOKSTEIN, Patterns of scientific productivity and social change: a discussion of Lotka's law and bibliometric symmetry,Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 28 (1977) 206.

    Google Scholar 

  4. A. BOOKSTEIN, Robustness properties of the bibliometric distributions. Preprint 1984.

  5. M. BONITZ, P. SCHMIDT. Transition from the macrolevel to the microlevel of information at rank distribution investigations of the report literature of an international information system,Scientometrics, 4 (1982) 283.

    Google Scholar 

  6. B. C. BROOKES, Bradford's law and the bibliography of science,Nature, 224 (1969) 953.

    Google Scholar 

  7. B. C. BROOKES, Numerical methods of bibliographic analysis,Library Trends, (1973) 18.

  8. B. C. BROOKES, Theory of the Bradford law,Journal of Documentation, 33(3) (1977) 180.

    Google Scholar 

  9. P. BROWN, The distribution of articles in the literature.Australian Academic Research Libraries, 8(1) (1977) 26.

    Google Scholar 

  10. M. C. DROTT, J. C. MANCALL, B. C. GRIFFITH, Bradford's law and libraries: present applications — potential promise.Aslib Proceedings, 31(6) (1979) 296.

    Google Scholar 

  11. D. De SOLLA PRICE, A general theory of bibliometric and other cumulative advantage processes,Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 27 (1979) 296.

    Google Scholar 

  12. L. EGGHE, Consequences of Lotka's law for the law of Bradford,Journal of Documentation, 41(3) (1985) 173.

    Google Scholar 

  13. L. EGGHE, The dual of Bradford's law,Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 37(4) (1986) 246.

    Google Scholar 

  14. L. EGGHE, Applications of the theory of Bradford's law to the calculation of Leimkuhler's law and to the completion of bibliographies. To appear inJournal of the American Society for Information Science.

  15. B. C. GRIFFITH, Exact fits to large ranked, bibliometric distributions. To appear inJournal of the American Society for Information Science.

  16. O. V. GROOS, Bradford's law and Keenan-Atherton data,Journal of Documentation, 19(1) (1967) 48.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Y. S. LIPATOV, L. V. DENISENKO, On the behaviour of information flows in multicomponent polymer systems research,Scientometrics, 9 (1986) 197.

    Google Scholar 

  18. B. B. MANDELBROT,The Fractal Geometry of the Nature, W. H. Freeman & Cy, New York, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  19. A. POPE, Bradford's law and the periodical literature of information science,Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 26 (1975) 207.

    Google Scholar 

  20. P. PRAUNLICH, M. KROLL, Bradford's distribution: a new formulation,Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 29 (1978) 51.

    Google Scholar 

  21. R. ROUSSEAU, Een vleugje bibliometrie: de equivalentie tussen de wetten van Bradford en Leimkuhler,Wiskunde en onderwijs, 13 (1987) 71.

    Google Scholar 

  22. L. SACHS,A Guide to Statistical Methods and to the Pertinent Literature, Literatur zur angewandter Statistik, Springer-Verlag, 1986.

  23. T. SARACEVIC, L. J. PERK, Ascertaining activities in a subject area through bibliometric analysis,Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 24 (1973) 120.

    Google Scholar 

  24. S. K. SEN, Philosophy of bibliometry. Preprint 1985. Paper presented at the XVth IASLIC Conference, Bangalore, 1985.

  25. H. S. SICHEL, Word frequency distributions and type-token characteristics,Mathematical Scientist, 11 (1986) 45.

    Google Scholar 

  26. A. SINGLETON, Journal ranking and selection: A review in physics,Journal of Documentation, 32(4) (1976) 258.

    Google Scholar 

  27. E. G. SUMMERS, Bradford's law and the retrieval of reading research journal literature,Reading Research Quarterly, 19(1) (1983) 102.

    Google Scholar 

  28. K. S. WARREN, V. A. NEWILL,Schistosomiasis, a Bibliography of the World's Literature from 1852–1962, Western Reserve University Press, Cleveland, 1967.

    Google Scholar 

  29. E. A. WILKINSON, The Bradford-Zipf distribution. A simulation study. OSTI Report no 5172, School of Library, Archive and Information Studies, Univ. College, London, U. K., 1973.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. L. U. C. Universitaire Campus, B-3610, Diepenbeek, (Belgium)

    L. Egghe

  2. K. I. H. W. V., Zeedijk 101, B-8400, Oostende, (Belgium)

    R. Rousseau

Authors
  1. L. Egghe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. Rousseau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Egghe, L., Rousseau, R. Reflections on a deflection: A note on different causes of the Groos droop. Scientometrics 14, 493–511 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02017105

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02017105

Keywords

Search

Navigation