Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Time-dependent aspects of co-concentration in informetrics

  • Published:
Scientometrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is a well-known empirical fact that when informetric processes are observed over an extending period of time, the entire shape of the distribution changes. In particular, it has been shown that concentration aspects change. In this paper the recently introduced co-concentration coefficient (C-CC) is investigated via simple stochastic models of informetric processes to investigate its time-dependence. It is shown that it is important to distinguish between situations where the zero-producers can be counted and those where they cannot. A previously published data set is used to illustrate how the empirical C-CC develops in time and the general features are compared with those derived from the theoretical model.

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

  • Arnold, B. C., Laguna, L. (1977), On generalized Pareto distributions with applications to income data. International Studies in Economics No. 10, Department of Economics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradford, S. C. (1934), Sources of information on specific subjects. Engineering, 137: 85–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brookes, B. C. (1975), A sampling theorem for finite discrete distributions. Journal of Documentation, 31: 26–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (1980), A simple stochastic model for library Ioans. Journal of Documentation, 36: 115–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (1985), The 80/20 rule: library lore or statistical law? Journal of Documentation, 41: 24–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (1988), Predictive aspects of some bibliometric processes. In: L. Egghe, R. Rosseau (Eds), Informetrics 87/88: Select Proceedings of the First International Conference on Bibliometrics and Theoretical Aspects of Information Retrieval, Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 43–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (1990a), Using the gamma-Poisson model to predict library circulations. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 41: 164–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (1990b), Empirical prediction of library circulations based on negative binomial processes. In: L. Egghe, R. Rousseau (Eds), Informetrics 89/90: Selection of Papers Submitted for the Second International Conference on Bibliometrics, Scientometrics and Informetrics, Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 57–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (1991), The Bradford distribution and the Gini index. Scientometrics, 21: 181–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (1992a), The dynamic nature of bibliometric processes: a case study. In: I. K. Ravichandra Rao (Ed.), Informetrics — 91: Selected Papers from the Third International Conference on Informetrics, Bangalore: Ranganathan Endowment, pp. 97–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (1992b), One-step-ahead prediction for a growing database: an empirical Bayes approach. Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 51: 756–762.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (1992c), The Gini index and the Leimkuhler curve for bibliometric processes. Information Processing and Management, 28, 19–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (2001), Stochastic modelling of the first citation distribution. Scientometrics, 52: 3–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (2002a), On the nth citation distribution and obsolescence. Scientometrics, 53: 309–323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (2002b), Will this paper ever be cited? Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 53: 232–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (2003), Predicting future citation behavior. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 54: 372–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (2005a), Measuring similarity of concentration between different informetric distributions: Two new approaches. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 56: 704–714.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (2005b), Measuring relative equality of concentration between different income/wealth distributions. International Conference in Memory of Two Social Scientists: C. Gini and M. O. Lorenz. University of Siena, 23–26 May, 2005 http://www.unisi.it/eventi/GiniLorenz05/programme23.htm.

  • Burrell, Q. L. (2005c), The use of the generalised Waring process in modelling informetric data. Scientometrics, 64: 247–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (2005d), An empirical study of the measurement of similarity of concentration between different informetric distributions. In: P. Ingwersen, B. Larsen (Eds), Proceedings of ISSI 10, Volume 1, Stockholm: Karolinska University Press, pp. 129–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (2005e), Are “Sleeping Beauties” to be expected? Scientometrics, 65: 381–389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L. (2006), Measuring concentration within and co-concentration between informetric distributions: An empirical study. Scientometrics, 68: 441–456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L., Cane, V. R. (1982), The analysis of library data. (With discussion.) Journal of the Royal Statistical Society (Series A), 145: 439–471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrell, Q. L., Fenton, M. R. (1993), Yes, the GIGP really does work — and is workable! Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 44: 61–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dorfman, R. (1979), A formula for the Gini coefficient. Review of Economics and Statics, 61: 146–149.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Egghe, L., Rousseau, R. (1990), Elements of concentration theory. In: L. Egghe, R. Rousseau (Eds), Informetrics 1989/90: Selection of Papers Submitted for the Second International Conference on Bibliometrics, Scientometrics and Informetrics, Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 97–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, R. A., Corbet, A. S., Williams, C. B. (1943), The relation between the number of species and the number of individuals in a random sample from an animal population. Journal of Animal Ecology, 12: 42–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glänzel, W., Schoepflin, U. (1994), A stochastic model for the ageing of scientific literature. Scientometrics, 30: 49–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glänzel, W., Schubert, A. (1995), Predictive aspects of a stochastic model for citation processes. Information Processing and Management, 31: 69–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kleiber, C., Kotz, S. (2003), Statistical Size Distributions in Economics and Actuarial Sciences, New Jersey: Wiley.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Lotka, A. J. (1926), The frequency distribution of scientific productivity. Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, 16: 317–323.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mingers, J., Burrell, Q. L. (2006), Modeling citation behaviour in management science journals. Information Processing and Management, 42: 1451–1464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parzen, E. (1962), Stochastic Processes, San Francisco: Holden-Day.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Rao, I. K. R. (1988), Probability distributions and inequality measures for analyses of circulation data. In: L. Egghe, R. Rousseau (Eds), Informetrics 87/88: Select Proceedings of the First International Conference on Bibliometrics and Theoretical Aspects of Information Retrieval, Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 231–248.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross, S. M. (1996), Stochastic Processes, 2nd edition, New York: Wiley.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Schubert, A., Telcs, A. (1989), Estimation of the publication potential in 50 United-States states and in the District-of-Columbia based on the frequency-distribution of scientific productivity. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 40(4): 291–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sichel, H. S. (1985), A bibliometric distribution which really works. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 36: 314–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, J. A. (1993), The Poisson-lognormal model for bibliometric/scientometric distributions. Information Processing and Management, 30: 239–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stirzaker, D. (1994), Elementary Probability Theory, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trueswell, R. W. (1966), Determining the optimal number of volumes for a library’s core collection. Libri, 16: 49–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trueswell, R. W. (1969), Some behavioral patterns of library users: the 80/20 rule. Wilson Library Bulletin, 43: 458–461.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trueswell, R. W. (1976), Growing libraries: who needs them? In: D. Gore (Ed.), Farewell to Alexandria: Solutions to Space, Growth and Performance Problems of Libraries, Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, pp. 72–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zipf, G. (1949), Human Behaviour and the Principle of Least Effort, New York: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Isle of Man International Business School, The Nunnery Old Castletown Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM2 1QB, UK

    Quentin L. Burrell

Authors
  1. Quentin L. Burrell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Quentin L. Burrell.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Burrell, Q.L. Time-dependent aspects of co-concentration in informetrics. Scientometrics 73, 161–174 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-007-1688-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-007-1688-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation