A citation analysis study of MA dissertations in the library and information science field in universities in Tehran

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze citation behaviors of students in the LIS field among a variety of local universities in Tehran.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 259 MA dissertations in Library and Information Science submitted to five universities in Tehran during 2003‐2008 are examined. These universities were selected based on their location and the authors' accessibility to their university libraries. Overall, five out of nine universities in Iran which have Masters Courses in Library and Information Science were selected for this study. The data were gathered using a checklist by the author, who personally attended in university libraries and counted all dissertation references.

Findings

The study shows that students' citation behaviors are in favor of books, and Farsi e‐sources are lesser used by LIS students than English e‐sources. The total number of book citations is far more than total number of other formats. While this study could be useful in library acquisition decisions, it could also inform in areas related to issues students face in finding suitable pieces of information.

Practical implications

This study would be useful for educational and acquisition purposes in university libraries, since it examines citation behavior of students through a specific discipline.

Originality/value

The study deals with MA Library and Information Science dissertations among all universities of Tehran that teach LIS masters courses.

Citation

Riahinia, N. (2010), "A citation analysis study of MA dissertations in the library and information science field in universities in Tehran", Library Review, Vol. 59 No. 1, pp. 56-64. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242531011014682