Information Science Research Research Articles

Domain analytic paradigm: a quarter century exploration of fundamental ideas in information science

PurposeThe conditions that domain analysis becomes an academic school of information science (IS) are mature. Domain analysis is one of the most important foundations of IS. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and discuss metatheoretical and theoretical issues in the domain analytic paradigm in IS.Design/methodology/approachThis paper conducts a systematic review of representative publications of domain analysis. The analysis considered degree theses, journal articles, book chapters, conference papers and other materials.FindingsDomain analysis maintains that community is the new focus of IS research. Although domain analysis centers on the domain and community, theoretical concerns on the social and individual dimensions of IS are inherent in it by its using sociology as its important approach and socio-cognitive viewpoint. For these reasons domain analysis can integrate social–community–individual levels of IS discipline as a whole. The role of subject knowledge in IS is discussed from the perspective of domain analysis. Realistic pragmatism that forms the philosophical foundation of domain analysis is argued and the implications of these theories to IS are presented.Originality/valueThe intellectual evolving landscape of domain analysis during a quarter century is comprehensively reviewed. Over the past twenty-five years, domain analysis has established its academic status in the international IS circle. Being an important metatheory, paradigm and methodology, domain analysis becomes the theoretical foundation of IS research. This paper assesses the current state of domain analysis and shows the contributions of domain analysis to IS. It also aims to inspire further exploration.

Target profiling of flavonol glycosides in the extract of Ginkgo biloba leaf and their pharmacokinetics in rat plasma by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

The extract of Ginkgo biloba leaf is a popular herbal product or dietary supplement in the world to treat various diseases, and flavonol glycosides are considered as the main bioactive constituents. In this study, 37 flavonol glycosides were rapidly screened out by precursor ion scanning in positive ion mode with production ions at m/z 287.05, 303.05, and 317.06. Subsequently, a reliable and sensitive ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometry approach was established and validated to quantify the 20 prototype flavonol glycosides in rat plasma. Calibration curves showed good linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9894) over the corresponding concentration range. The precision, accuracy, extraction recovery, matrix effect, and stability were also satisfactory. The validated method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of prototype flavonol glycosides in rat after oral administration of the extract of G. biloba leaf. As a result, the Tmax of flavonol glycosides was short at 0.11-0.60 h. Quercetin-3-O-(2",6″-di-O-rhamnosyl)-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-(2'',6''-di-O-rhamnosyl)-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, quercetin- 3-O-glucosyl-(1-2)-O-rhamnoside, and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside presented relatively high systemic exposure levels with AUC0-∞ >500 μg h/L and Cmax >100 μg/L. This study would provide the valuable information for further scientific research and clinical application of the extract of G. biloba leaf.

Seven information practices for alleviating information vulnerability

PurposeThis literature review aims to identify conscious, intentional, repetitive and transferrable information-related decisions and activities (i.e. information practices) for individuals to alleviate their information vulnerability. Information vulnerability refers to the lack of access to accurate, affordable, complete, relevant and timely information or the inability to use such information, which can place individuals, communities or society at disadvantage or hurt them.Design/methodology/approachConceptual literature review.FindingsThis review presents seven conscious, intentional, repetitive and transferrable information practices to alleviate information vulnerability.Practical implicationsDue to the transferability potential of the seven information practices, diverse populations in varied contexts could refer to, adapt and benefit from appropriate combinations of information practices and their manifestations. The framework can be used by individuals for alleviating information vulnerability. Thus, this paper responds to the call for conducting action-driven research in information science for addressing real-world problems. Information professionals can help individuals select and implement appropriate combinations of seven information practices for alleviating information vulnerability.Originality/valueWe propose (1) a parsimonious, episodic framework for alleviating information vulnerability, which depicts the inter-relationship among the seven information practices and (2) a three-dimensional plot with information access, use and value as three axes to map the manifestation and outcome of alleviating information vulnerability.

Spatiotemporal Monitoring of a Grassland Ecosystem and Its Net Primary Production Using Google Earth Engine: A Case Study of Inner Mongolia from 2000 to 2020

Grassland ecosystems are a significant part of the global ecosystem and support the livelihoods of millions of people. The Inner Mongolia grassland is the largest temperate grassland in the world, and an important ecological barrier for China, but due to human activities and climate change it has been faced with an ecological crisis in recent years. In this study, a modified Carnegie-Ames-Stanford approach (CASA) model based on the Google Earth Engine platform was used to determine the net primary production (NPP) in the Inner Mongolia grassland from 2000 to 2020. The results show that the average annual NPP of the Inner Mongolia grassland is 278.63 g C/m2, and 83.22% of the total area has shown an increasing trend during the study period. We also analyzed the impact of land-use/cover change (LUCC) and climatic factors on NPP. We found that: (1) the total area of grassland increased from 2000 to 2010 and then decreased from 2010 to 2020. During the whole study period, although the grassland area increased slightly by 4728.69 km2 because of LUCC, the overall effect of LUCC on grassland NPP was negative, with a loss of 17.63 Tg C compared to an increase of 16.38 Tg C. (2) The main meteorological factor affecting the NPP of the Inner Mongolia grassland is precipitation, followed by sunshine duration and temperature. About 97.06% of the grassland shows a positive correlation between NPP and precipitation. (3) The results for NPP and its changing trends are not completely consistent in the long- and short-term study periods. Considering the instability of grassland growth, it is necessary to take the periodic variation of precipitation into account when studying NPP. These results could provide basic information for policy formulation and scientific research into the ecological environment management of grassland areas in the future.

Preface

The 2021 International Conference on Materials Genetic Engineering and Information Science (MGEIS 2021) was held on September 03-05, 2021 as a virtual conference due to the growing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), and in order to protect the well-being of our attendees, partners, and staff as our number one priority.MGEIS 2021 is to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of Material Genetic Engineering, New Materials and Information Science to a common forum. The primary goal of the conference is to promote research and developmental activities in Manufacturing Technology and Engineering Materials and another goal is to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working all around the world. The conference will be held every year to make it an ideal platform for people to share views and experiences in Material Genetic Engineering and Information Science and related areas.This scientific event brings together more than 80 national and international researchers in materials genetic engineering and information science. On top of the local participants coming from different national universities, international participants are also registered from different countries. During the conference, the conference model was divided into three sessions, including oral presentations, keynote speeches, and online Q&A discussion. In the first part, some scholars, whose submissions were selected as the excellent papers, were given about 5-10 minutes to perform their oral presentations one by one. Then in the second part, keynote speakers were each allocated 30-45 minutes to hold their speeches.List of Committee member is available in this pdf.

Social barriers to open (water) data

AbstractAlthough the proliferation of open water data platforms and initiatives in recent years is a laudable phenomenon, there is little empirical evidence indicating whether and to what extent these efforts are generating anticipated benefits of improved transparency, citizen participation, innovation, and water resource decision making. Relatedly, water resource researchers have devoted little attention to identifying and accounting for barriers that may be limiting open water data efforts from realizing their potential. The premise of this overview is that (a) open water data efforts could be improved with a better understanding of the non‐technical challenges and that (b) water researchers interested in open water data would benefit from delving into the emerging body of research in public policy, information science, and other disciplines on open data barriers more broadly. However, the research on open data barriers has neglected water sustainability issues. In light of this asymmetry, the aim of this overview is to foster interdisciplinary engagement on this topic by introducing the water resource community to this literature via a discussion of key social barriers to open data. Additionally, I hope to motivate water resource researchers to develop a two‐way interdisciplinary engagement by making original research contributions to this larger literature.This article is categorized under: Engineering Water Science of Water > Methods Human Water > Water Governance Human Water > Water as Imagined and Represented

Advancing information practices theoretical discourses centered on marginality, community, and embodiment: Learning from the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities

AbstractThis conceptual paper identifies future directions for information practices theoretical discourses addressing marginality, community, and embodiment. We extend arguments from critical research identifying how existing discourses fail to capture the nuanced, lived experiences of people and communities confronting marginalization, predominantly via their reinforcement of deficit narratives. We then connect a series of qualitative projects examining the information practices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual communities in the American South with relevant Library and Information Science (LIS) research to examine how marginality, community, and embodiment shape these practices. Specifically, we introduce a conceptual model that describes marginality by framing information practices as tactical and agentic responses to and refutations of social and structural barriers and risks. While some of the information practices of participants and communities appear to be uninformed or unsafe, they represent the products of community sharing and vetting. Embodied navigations further inform participant practices as they navigate information worlds produced and informed by their intersectional identities. These arguments coincide with key categories established within our model that describe information practices: defensive and protective, and community and self. Based on these insights, we offer directions for future research and theory to reorient existing discourses in ways that inspire middle‐range theory building that fully captures people's lived experiences.

A contextualization of editorial misconduct in the library and information science academic information ecosystem

AbstractIn the last decade, one of the most effective tools applied in combating the erosion of public trust in academic research has been an increased level of transparency in the peer review and editorial process. Publicly available publication ethics guidelines and policies are vital in creating a transparent process that prevents unethical research, publication misconduct, manipulation of the communication of research to practitioners, and the erosion of public trust. This study investigated how these unethical practices, specifically those coded as editorial misconduct, bring the authenticity and integrity of the library and information science academic research digital record into question. Employing a multi‐layered approach, including key informant interviews, researchers determined the frequency and the content of ethical publishing policies and procedures in library and information science journals; exploring the ways the lack of, or nonadherence to these policies and procedures impacted library and information science researchers in instances of editorial misconduct.

Barriers to scholarly publishing among library and information science researchers: International perspectives

The 21 authors of this study, 19 of whom are non-native English speakers, reflect on the barriers to publishing academic journal articles in top international journals. Each author responded to the same set of questions pertaining to educational (PhD) opportunities for emerging scholars, financial conditions for researchers, and challenges in publishing their work. Limited English language skills, lack of research funding, and different research topics were identified as the most significant barriers to publish in the journals. Recruiting volunteers or using electronic translations for accepted articles for journals, reducing software and subscription to academic journals costs, expanding journal scope, and providing guidance and collaboration across borders are possible measures to reduce the negative impact of the barriers.

A review of cluster analysis techniques and their uses in library and information science research: k-means and k-medoids clustering

PurposeThis literature review explores the definitions and characteristics of cluster analysis, a machine-learning technique that is frequently implemented to identify groupings in big datasets and its applicability to library and information science (LIS) research. This overview is intended for researchers who are interested in expanding their data analysis repertory to include cluster analysis, rather than for existing experts in this area.Design/methodology/approachA review of LIS articles included in the Library and Information Source (EBSCO) database that employ cluster analysis is performed. An overview of cluster analysis in general (how it works from a statistical standpoint, and how it can be performed by researchers), the most popular cluster analysis techniques and the uses of cluster analysis in LIS is presented.FindingsThe number of LIS studies that employ a cluster analytic approach has grown from about 5 per year in the early 2000s to an average of 35 studies per year in the mid- and late-2010s. The journal Scientometrics has the most articles published within LIS that use cluster analysis (102 studies). Scientometrics is the most common subject area to employ a cluster analytic approach (152 studies). The findings of this review indicate that cluster analysis could make LIS research more accessible by providing an innovative and insightful process of knowledge discovery.Originality/valueThis review is the first to present cluster analysis as an accessible data analysis approach, specifically from an LIS perspective.

A Bibliometric Analysis of the Annual Meeting Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology

AbstractIn this study, we analyzed two decades of the proceedings of the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) to uncover bibliometric patterns. We found 3,129 publications from 2000–2020, with more than three‐quarters jointly authored. Most authors are from U.S., Canada, and China. Social media and information behavior are the top‐researched areas. The top‐cited journals are the Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Information Processing and Management, and Library and Information Science Research. The findings affirm ASIS&T's move to an international association and point to the growing importance of collaborative work and social media. The study fills the gap in the analysis of ASIS&T conference proceedings and will help information professionals understand patterns in recent research. This should help guide them in their future research directions.

Prevalence of methodological transparency in the use of mixed methods research in library and information science research in South Africa and Nigeria, 2009–2015

Methodological transparency facilitates rigorous, trustworthy, and reliable mixed methods research (MMR). Because divergent views on the conceptualization of mixed methods can create confusion for researchers, methodological transparency can help researchers to replicate methods in other studies and attract them to mixed methods research. Many studies have been conducted to assess the utilization of mixed methods research in several disciplines, but few in library and information science (LIS) have studied how authors describe the methods used. This study investigated the clarity and detail provided about methodology in mixed methods research articles in LIS, focusing on South Africa and Nigeria. Content analysis was used to assess 104 doctoral theses, of which 10 used mixed methods. Results suggest that methodological transparency in MMR research is underrepresented in LIS. This study contributes to the discussion on how LIS can enhance the quality of mixed methods research studies by underscoring the importance of methodological transparency in such studies. Researchers and LIS educators can use the gaps identified by this study to use and report mixed methods appropriately in future research.

Documenting Information Processes and Practices: Paradata, Provenance Metadata, Life‐Cycles and Pipelines

AbstractProcesses and practices—and in general, informational doings and their diverse constellations—are pertinent elements of the information landscape. This panel presents research on documentation and description of processes and practices in the information field addressing: 1) how different conceptualisations of processes and practices influence how they emerge as describable entities; 2) what different approaches to document and describe processes and practices exist and have been proposed in information science and technology research; 3) what aspects of processes and practices different documentation approaches capture, make visible and invisible; and 4) what novel insights from the current state‐of‐the‐art research can be drawn to support practitioners in different areas of the information field, including knowledge organisation, information management, information literacy instruction, and development of information systems and services.

Information Injustice and Intellectual Freedom: Polarizing Concepts for a Polarizing Time

AbstractHistorically, information professionals have advocated for intellectual freedom, specifically the rights to free speech and expression. The unrestricted flow of information has been foundational to library and information science practice. Yet, free speech at times is protected to the detriment of vulnerable communities. In this panel discussion, four library and information science researchers discuss the scholarly and pragmatic tensions surrounding LIS ethics and anti‐hegemony. Using Chatman's (1996) concept of information poverty and Gibson and Martin's (2019) theory of information marginalization as discursive guides, the panelists will describe how they negotiate ethical principles, information justice, LIS professionalization, and social inclusion.

PENGARUH TEKNOLOGI TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN EKONOMI

The Effect of Technology on Economic Growth. The research objective was to qualitatively analyze the effect of technological progress on economic growth, as well as the positive and negative impacts of technological developments on the economy. The research model used is a qualitative research method, namely research based on theories contained in the literature, more in the nature of descriptive and narrative descriptions. The theoretical foundation is used as a guide.
 Data collection uses literature studies or library research (Library Research, which is a technique of gathering information through data collection by tracing important documents that are related and relevant to the object under study. Data and information are obtained from literature books, articles scientific research, theses, dissertations, encyclopedias, internet, and other sources Data and information obtained from library studies in the form of academic texts, photos, graphics, journals, policy briefs, or pamphlets, banners, and journalistic reports. data reduction, data presentation and drawing conclusions / verification
 The research results show that technology is very influential on the economy of a country. The economy is measured by Economic Growth or the value of GDP and GDP per capita. Developed countries (America, China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Singapore) with their modern technology, their economic growth rate is always positive and stable, although it can experience negative growth, the growth gap is not too big. GDP per capita is very high. Likewise, poor and underdeveloped countries (African continent) have started to catch up by starting to make business innovations using modern technologies. The impact felt by their economy began to move up, marked by high economic growth (YoY GDP), GDP per capita also started to move up.
 
 Keywords: technology, per capita income, economic growth, GDP

Design and Application of Science and Technology Project Management Information System for Educational Institutes

This paper analyzes the user needs of the scientific research project management system, expounds the feasibility of information system development, and analyzes the business needs combined with the reality of scientific research project management. In the system level design, combined with the demand analysis of the information system function, the system module is developed in a hierarchical way. The whole system is divided into four layers: (i) core business layer; (ii) data access interface layer; (iii) neighborhood object layer; (iv) data platform. The specific functions include three various modules, i.e., scientific research project information management module, research achievement management module, and scientific research information portal module. In the system software part, the attribute encryption method is used to effectively encrypt the information of scientific and technological projects and to protect the safe sharing of scientific and technological information in colleges and universities. Finally, we look at the limitations of conducting high-quality design-science research in the context of the larger information system community. The experimental results show that the system can perform the corresponding functions effectively, and the data reading integrity is high, which can meet the requirements of the university science and technology project information management.

Black articles matter: exploring relative deprivation and implicit bias in library and information science research publications of Africa and other continents

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore relative deprivation and implicit bias in library and information science research publications of Africa and other continents.Design/methodology/approachResearch design used for this study is descriptive survey research. Specifically, the study will adopt both web content analysis and survey to collect data. The content analysis covers the whole continents of the world: Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Northern America, Pacific Region and Western Europe; using the Webometrics World Ranking of Universities and the SCImago/Scopus Journal Ranking. Library and information science was used as the search and control parameter. The scopes covered by the research are: 1. Ascertaining the visible publishing and assessment standards of top library and information science (LIS) journals, which was evaluated using Kleinert and Wager (2010)'s study.FindingsIt was found out among others that editors making fair and unbiased decisions as policy is seen in 33% of the journals, which is very poor. All the structural disparities, such as presence ranking, impact ranking, excellence ranking, etc. were favouring Europe and the Americas mainly. As much as rejection is getting to these respondents, research generally is also suffering by missing out on some untapped knowledge and ideas from these deprived populations. Many authors are losing faith in their capabilities and are now afraid of venturing into tedious research exercises because it will most likely be rejected either ways.Research limitations/implicationsIt is an established fact that social media gains research impact and attracts international collaborations. In support, studies such as Hassan et al. (2019) reported the fact that tweet mentions of articles with positive sentiment to more visibility and citations. They claim that cited articles in either positive or neutral tweets have a more significant impact than those not cited at all or cited in negative tweets. In addition, Hassan et al. (2020) equally highlighted tweet coupling as a social media methodology useful for clustering scientific publications. Despite the fact that social media have these influences on research and publications visibility and presence, the context of the present research did cover this scope of study. The study focused mainly on sources from Scopus as well as results from responses. Further studies can be carried out on this area.Originality/valueResearch studies linking “Black Articles Matter” to relative deprivation and implicit bias in research publications, especially in library and information discipline, are very rare. Also, the scope of approach of the study is quite different and interesting.

Students Experience Cognitive and Emotional Responses to Academic Library Spaces

A Review of: Mei, X. Y., Aas, E., & Eide, O. (2020). Applying the servicescape model to understand student experiences of a Norwegian academic library. Library & Information Science Research, 42(4), Article 101051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2020.101051 Abstract Objective – To understand how the physical environment of an academic library influences user behaviour. Design – Qualitative explorative. Setting – An academic library at a large university in Norway. Subjects – Twelve bachelor’s and master’s students at a business school. Methods – The researchers used a two-step approach, with the servicescape model from the marketing discipline serving as a theoretical framework. Subjects completed several tasks involving drawing and elaborating on their usage of the library space, utilizing a bird’s-eye floor plan. This was followed by semi-structured interviews to explore how subjects use and experience the library facilities. Main Results – Students found it important to be physically comfortable and to have enough room for the items they need while studying. The library in this study was seen more as a place for studying than for social interactions, and while some subjects reported being motivated by seeing students around them studying, others said they are distracted by having other students in their sightline. The time of the semester appeared to influence user experience and satisfaction with the library space, with spaces conducive to group work desired at some points in the semester and with single seating preferred when individual exams are taking place. Conclusion – The library’s physical environment triggers cognitive and emotional responses in users. These responses influence how frequently they visit the library and how well they are able to concentrate while there. Because academic library spaces have an impact on student learning, it is important to design libraries with user comfort in mind. Libraries should accommodate the different ways students work throughout the semester by providing flexible study space configurations.

Preface

It is highly delighted to introduce the 2021 4th International Conference on Computer Information Science and Application Technology (CISAT 2021), which held on July 30-August 1, 2021 in Lanzhou, China. CISAT 2021 is to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of computer information science and application technology to a common forum. The primary goal of the conference is to promote research and developmental activities in computer information science and application technology and another goal is to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working all around the world. The conference will be held every year to make it an ideal platform for people to share views and experiences in computer information science and application technology and related areas.About 180 participants from academic, high-education institutes and other organizations took part in the conference. The conference model was divided into two sessions, including oral presentations and keynote speeches. In the first part, some scholars, whose submissions were selected as the excellent papers, were given 15 minutes to perform their oral presentations one by one. Then in the second part, keynote speakers were each allocated 30-45 minutes to hold their speeches. We were very honored to three professors as our Conference Chairs.In the keynote presentation part, we invited eight professors as our keynote speakers. The first keynote speaker, Prof. Anhui Liang, from Shandong University of Science and Technology, China. He performed a speech: Biological Optical AI on the Retinas of Human and Vertebrates, Biological Optical Fiber Couplers and Biological Transistors. The second keynote speaker, Prof. Tao Zhang, from China Aerospace Science and Industry Coparation Limited. He presented an insightful speech: Intelligent Applications of Loan Risk Control Based on Financial Big Data Technology. Prof. Jeng-Shyang Pan, from Shandong University of Science and Technology, China. He delivered a wonderful speech: Overview of Swarm Intelligence Algorithm. Prof. Yuanchang Zhong, from Chongqing University, China, performed a speech: An Vehicle-mounted Tank Valve Monitoring System Based on BeiDou Navigation Satellite Tracking. Prof. Mingfu Zhao, from Chongqing University of Technology, China. He presented a talk: Intelligent optical fiber sensing technology and application. Prof. Wei William LEE, from Zhejiang University of Technology, China, performed a speech: Application of Blockchain in Financial Services. Dr. Zhixiang Liu, from Shenzhen Association of IC Industry. He presented an insightful speech: Overview of IC Industry. Our finale keynote speaker, Prof. Nianbing Zhong, from Chongqing University of Technology, China. He delivered a speech: Intelligent fiber optic sensing technologies for monitoring biofilm growth.The proceedings present a selection of high-quality papers submitted to the conference by researchers from universities, research institutes, and industry. All papers were subjected to peer-review by conference committee members and international reviewers. The papers were selected based on their quality and their relevance to the conference. The proceedings present recent advances in the fields of Computational Science and Algorithms; Intelligent Computing and Artificial Intelligence; Software Process and Data Mining and others related research.I would like to express special gratitude to members of the conference committee and organizers of the conference. I would also like to thank the reviewers for their valuable time and advice which helped in improving the quality of the papers selected for presentation at the conference and for publication in the proceedings. Finally, I want to thank the authors, the members of the organizing committee, the reviewers, the chairpersons, sponsors, and all other conference participants for their support of CISAT 2021.The Committee of CISAT 2021List of titles Committee member, Conference Chairs, Technical Committee Chair, International Technical Committee are available in this Pdf.

Intellectual structure of information science 2011–2020: an author co-citation analysis

PurposeThis study continues a long history of author co-citation analysis of the intellectual structure of information science into the time period of 2011–2020. It also examines changes in this structure from 2006–2010 through 2011–2015 to 2016–2020. Results will contribute to a better understanding of the information science research field.Design/methodology/approachThe well-established procedures and techniques for author co-citation analysis were followed. Full records of research articles in core information science journals published during 2011–2020 were retrieved and downloaded from the Web of Science database. About 150 most highly cited authors in each of the two five-year time periods were selected from this dataset to represent this field, and their co-citation counts were calculated. Each co-citation matrix was input into SPSS for factor analysis, and results were visualized in Pajek. Factors were interpreted as specialties and labeled upon an examination of articles written by authors who load primarily on each factor.FindingsThe two-camp structure of information science continued to be present clearly. Bibliometric indicators for research evaluation dominated the Knowledge Domain Analysis camp during both fivr-year time periods, whereas interactive information retrieval (IR) dominated the IR camp during 2011–2015 but shared dominance with information behavior during 2016–2020. Bridging between the two camps became increasingly weaker and was only provided by the scholarly communication specialty during 2016–2020. The IR systems specialty drifted further away from the IR camp. The information behavior specialty experienced a deep slump during 2011–2020 in its evolution process. Altmetrics grew to dominate the Webometrics specialty and brought it to a sharp increase during 2016–2020.Originality/valueAuthor co-citation analysis (ACA) is effective in revealing intellectual structures of research fields. Most related studies used term-based methods to identify individual research topics but did not examine the interrelationships between these topics or the overall structure of the field. The few studies that did discuss the overall structure paid little attention to the effect of changes to the source journals on the results. The present study does not have these problems and continues the long history of benchmark contributions to a better understanding of the information science field using ACA.