On the evolution of library and information science doctoral dissertation topics in China

Abstract

Previous studies have presented a radical change in library and information science research topics in North America. This article investigates library and information science doctoral dissertations in China in terms of their topics and interdisciplinarity in the past 20 years. The results do not find a significant change in library and information science dissertation topics in China but reveal that the increase of library and information science doctoral research in the area of information science is attributed to an increase in admissions to Information Science majors compared to other majors (Library Science and Archive Studies). This study also shows that the academic background of library and information science doctoral advisors does not affect the interdisciplinarity of their students’ doctoral dissertations in China.

A seventeen-year Research Topic Dispersion and Methodological Choices among LIS Postgraduates in Tanzania

“…Onyancha found globally from 2011-2015, knowledge management was a topic highly researched. Similarly, Song, Zhu and Shu (2021) revealed knowledge management and informetrics were popular topics research topics in China. The difference between the two studies and the present may be explained by two main reasons.…”

“…Additionally, Zong, et. al, (2013), Song, Zhu and Shu (2021) and Maity & Hatua (2015) found ontology, semantic web, electronic government, knowledge management, digital library and bibliometrics, informetrics, ICT applications and scholarly communication which arguably are not wellresearched in most developing countries were widely researched in China and India respectively. The present findings are alarming as highly topical research themes researched in LIS globally such as human-computer interaction, informetrics and scientometrics, internet crime, information licensing and fair use receive little attention among LIS scholars in developing countries.…”

“…The findings indicated social media and data science are LIS topics recently gaining attention. Song, Zhu and Shu (2021) evaluated 1018 library and information science doctoral dissertations in China from 1994 to 2018. Knowledge management, informetrics and research evaluation were topics mostly researched.…”

“…Topic dispersal of research is important in advancing LIS knowledge, identifying new LIS themes, opportunities, put research into practice, growth of the professional and test the application of variety research methods (Pickard, 2013). Although, a number of scholars have researched on LIS topics globally (see Ma & Lund, 2021;Keshavartz & Shekari, 2020;Rochester & Vakkari, 1998;Song, Zhu & Shu, 2021), little research has been done in developing countries like Tanzania to assess thereof and concurrently identifying research methods researchers deploy. In fact, despite LIS education being offered for the past two decades in Tanzania higher learning institutions, little is known on research topics and research strategies used by LIS postgraduate students.…”

Research visualization of Indian LIS research using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix

“…This brings huge challenges affecting collection, organization, storage, processing and usage of unstructured data (Bowker, 2018). As a result, many studies have been focusing on the evolution and development of LIS in the past decade (Song et al, 2020).…”