Bibliometric Reflections on the First Decade of Human Dimensions of Wildlife

Abstract

Volume 1, number 1 of Human Dimensions of Wildlife (HDW) was published in 1996. This article reviews the first 10 years of HDW using bibliometric analysis. Bibliometrics sheds light on the process of written communication by counting and analyzing publications within a discipline. The findings highlighted some encouraging trends. First, the number of international contributions nearly doubled from 1996–2000 to 2001–2005. Second, a wide range of wildlife-related issues (e.g., consumptive activities, nonconsumptive activities, preservation efforts) were examined. Third, most major social science disciplines were represented in all 10 volumes of HDW. Fourth, the broad range of concepts examined in HDW articles is consistent with the founding objective of promoting the application of social science theories to fisheries and wildlife management. Finally, the use of effect sizes in addition to null hypothesis significance tests increased from 1996–2000 to 2001–2005, indicating that HDW authors are practicing sound statistical practices.