A BIBLIOMETRIC EVALUATION OF CORE JOURNALS IN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

Nine core journals in the field of communication were studied to evaluate their influence on each other and on journals outside the field, and it was found that communication journals make only about 13% of their cites to other communication journals, and 44% of these are self-citations.

Abstract

Bibliometrics is a method of assessing scientific activity based on the citation links between journal articles. Nine core journals in the field of communication were studied to evaluate their influence on each other and on journals outside the field. Most of the data were drawn from the Social Sciences Citation Index Journal Citation Reports, 1977–1979 issues. It was found that communication journals make only about 13% of their cites to other communication journals, and 44% of these are self-citations. With the exception of Public Opinion Quarterly, communication journals make five citations for every one they receive. A network analysis showed that the nine journals clustered into two groups: speech-communication journals and mass communication journals. Human Communication Research has the most influence within the communication discipline, and Public Opinion Quarterly has the most influence outside the discipline. Communication remains a field with separate subliteratures and is very dependent on journals outside communication research.