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Growth dynamics of scholarly and scientific journals

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Abstract

Results are presented on journal growth dynamics at both the micro and macro levels, showingthat journal development clearly follows researcher behaviour and growth characteristics. At thesubject discipline level, the journal system is highly responsive to research events. Overall journalgrowth characteristics clearly show the predominance of 3.3% compound annual growth under anumber of different socio-political climates. It is proposed that this represents a lower limit tojournal growth rates and that this growth is the outcome of a self-organizing information systemthat reflects on the growth and specialization of knowledge. Potential models are suggested whichcould form attractive theoretical further lines of enquiry.

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Mabe, M., Amin, M. Growth dynamics of scholarly and scientific journals. Scientometrics 51, 147–162 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010520913124

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