Skip to main content
Log in

A bradford distribution for bibliometrics

  • Published:
Scientometrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The fit of Bradford's Law to bibliometrics — a field which is both interdisciplinary and relatively new was investigated. It is found that, contrary to expectations, the data fit Bradford's Law very well, particularly in the more recent period, 1979–1983. There are, in both periods studied, seven core journals with about 30% of the papers; most of these journals are specialized in information science or documentation. No “falling away” from Bradford's distribution towards the right-hand end of the bibliography was observed.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. S.D. Bradford,Documentation, Crosby Lockwood, London, 1953, pp. 144–159.

    Google Scholar 

  2. S.M. Lawani, Bradford's law and the literature of agriculture,International Library Review, 5 (1973) 341–350.

    Google Scholar 

  3. W.O. Aiyepeku, The Bradford distribution theory: the compounding of Bradford periodical literatures in geography,Journal of Documentation, 33 (1977) 210–219.

    Google Scholar 

  4. S.A. Roberts, M. Chak, Size, growth and characteristics of the serial literature of geography,Social Science Information Studies, 1 (1981) 317–338.

    Google Scholar 

  5. B.C. Peritz, The periodical literature of demography and Bradford's law,International Journal of Information Management, 6 (1986) 145–155.

    Google Scholar 

  6. D.P. Wallace, S. Bonzi, The relationship between journal productivity and quality,Proceedings of the ASIS, 22 (1985) 193–196.

    Google Scholar 

  7. R. Hjerppe,A bibliography of bibliometrics and citation indexing and analysis, The Royal Institute of Technology, Library, Stockholm, 1980. Report TRITA-LIB-2013).

    Google Scholar 

  8. R. Hjerppe, Supplement to a bibliography of bibliometrics and citation indexing and analysis,Scientometrics, 4 (1982) 241–281.

    Google Scholar 

  9. A. Schubert, Quantitiative, studies of science: a current bibliography,Scientometrics 5 (1983) 125–133, 397–403.Scientometrics, 6 (1984) 55–59, 197–202, 359–367.Scientometrics, 7 (1985) 111–117.Scientometrics, 8 (1985), 137–140.Scientometrics, 9 (1986) 293–304.

    Google Scholar 

  10. A. Pritchard, G.R. Wittig,Bibliometrics: a bibliography and index, Vol. 1: 1874–1959, ALLM Books, Watford, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Peritz, B.C. A bradford distribution for bibliometrics. Scientometrics 18, 323–329 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02020148

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02020148

Keywords

Navigation