Citation Structure: An Analysis of the Literature Cited in the Journal of Applied Communications from 1997 - 2006

摘要

The Journal of Applied Communications ( JAC) is a primary outlet of agricultural communications publishing and research dissemination. The purpose of this study was to assess ten years of JAC to determine literature cited. The study used a quantitative content analysis design. Analyzed in the study were 91 research and/or professional articles with research methodologies published from 1997 through 2006. There were 1,732 cited literature works identified in the journal. The average number of citations per article was approximately 19. Cited works from identified premier agricultural education journals were tracked for citation frequencies, in terms of author(s) and year of publication. A total of 143 references were made to journals identified as premier. The most frequently cited journals were from journalism, communications, and mass communications sources, including JAC. Additional cited works are defined. Citation analysis indicates that JAC relies heavily on books, journals, conference proceedings, and other literacy works outside agricultural communications. JAC does not exhibit compactness, indicating that it reaches past its citation boundaries and into interrelated areas of other disciplines. However, it does exhibit weak self-identity meaning it does little to build upon research previously cited in JAC.