“Sustainable management” of commercial electronic research resources and of its use in bibliometrics

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the pertinence of Bradford's law applied to a set of electronic periodical collections in a given discipline.Design/methodology/approachThis study applied Bradford's law using citations rather than articles from a theme, thus ensuring the pertinence of the periodicals cited. Concentrating on citations in articles focuses on the stage following research rather than prior stages. The sources are actually used because they have been cited.FindingsThe study demonstrates the data centrality phenomenon based on the leading periodicals in a theme. There was a relationship between the electronic periodical collection and the number of citations in the relevant journals in a theme.Originality/valueAlthough today's use of periodical titles is defined first and foremost by readership statistics, a more detailed analysis on the qualitative aspect can be an additional benefit in the negotiations conducted on a macro scale. Using Bradford's law could be envisaged as a complementary tool for a sustainable management of commercial electronic resources.