Paper Info
Title
Examining the usage, citation, and diffusion patterns of bibliometric mapping software: A comparative study of three tools.
Abstract
•This paper conducts a content analysis of a sample of 481 English core journal articles using three bibliometric mapping software tools (CiteSpace, HistCite and VOSviewer) to reveal the predominant mention and citation practices.•We employ several diffusion indicators (e.g., diffusion breadth and speed on the article, journal and domain levels) to provide insight into the influence and diffusion patterns of the three software tools.•Researchers mention and cite the three software tools in diverse ways and some of them fail to provide a formal citation of the three software tools.•Among the three software tools, VOSviewer is more frequently used than CiteSpace and HistCite.•The three tools are adopted fastest and most frequently in library and information science research, and they are then gradually adopted in other areas of study, initially at a lower diffusion speed but afterward at a rapidly growing rate.
Year
DOI
Venue
2018
10.1016/j.joi.2018.03.005
Journal of Informetrics
Keywords
Field
DocType
Software citation,Bibliometric mapping software,Knowledge diffusion,Bibliometrics,Scholarly communication
Data science,Data mining,Content analysis,Computer science,Citation,Software,Bibliometrics,Scholarly communication
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
12
2
1751-1577
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
6
0.52
33
Authors
4
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
xuelian pan1333.00
Erjia Yan294343.16
Ming Cui390.91
Weina Hua4455.04