Journal Literature on Digital Libraries: Publishing and Indexing Patterns, 1992–1997

Abstract

This study examines publishing and indexing patterns in the area of digital libraries to identify the core journals and the most effective descriptor terms for online searching. A group of 232 citations on digital libraries from 1992 to 1998 was analyzed. Results show that none of the 105 journals listed has emerged as the leading title in the field and that, although two-thirds of the citations were identified by one of two phrases, indexing is inconsistent and subject searching unreliable for full retrieval. The study confirms that skill, persistence, and wide reading are required to keep up with developments in this evolving field.