基于信息使用环境理论的引用行为研究:参考文献分析的视角

A Study on Citing Behavior Based on the Theory of Information Use Environment:A Cited References Analysis

目前,学术界多开展引用动机和引文功能的相关研究,但对于引用偏好等引用行为却关注较少。基于Taylor的信息使用环境理论,本研究采用参考文献分析方法,全面揭示了施引者引用行为的特征和影响因素。研究将信息使用环境理论中的前三类要素分别通过学者特征、组织环境及论题进行定义,采用参考文献分析法提取第四类要素;随机抽取论文样本,针对上述四类特征进行编码并通过统计分析探讨影响施引者引用行为的因素。研究发现:学者的年龄、性别、教育水平、学术年龄、职业角色、职称、所属机构的类型和层次以及所从事的研究主题和类型,都能对质量、语种、数量、信息资源类型、论文新旧的引用偏好产生显著影响。研究表明:信息使用环境理论和参考文献分析法在引用行为研究中具有适用性。

Although information behavior and informetrics are very popular in the field of Information Science, they have seldom been combined in empirical studies. It is worth trying to study on citing behavior from the perspective of informetries. While citation context analysis and survey have been used for studying on citation motivation and the function of references, little attention has been paid to authors＇ citing behavior itself or its influencing factors. It is said that cited references analysis has the advantage over these two methods and can compile a profile of citing scientists. Citing behavior is a kind of information use behavior, because of which the characteristics and influencing factors can be explored comprehensively based on Taylor＇s theory of Information Use Environment （IUE）. Consequently, this study is intended to operationalize the first three elements in IUE as the features of authors, their institutional environments and problems. The fourth element, the features of references, is measured according to cited referencesanalysis. Then, sample articles in CSSCI in Library ＆ Information Science are collected randomly and coded manually following the operationalization through CNKI, websites and personal homepages. Correlation analysis and nonparametric test are conducted to find out the influencing factors of citing behavior and regression analysis is used to probe into the influencing factors of the citing preference of information value, It is found that： 1） Authors received higher education prefer citing more publications with high quality, conference papers and foreign-language publications. 2） Younger, male authors cite more and rely on a variety of information resources. 3） Students, researchers and teachers use various information resources, compared with librarians and engineers. 4） Assistant professors prefer foreign language publications and publications with high quality when compared to professors and associate professors. 5） Authors affiliated with different types and ranks of institutions behave differently when citing. 6） Authors studying on various topics have different citation pattern. It is evidenced that IUE can be used for the conceptual and explanation framework of citing behavior. Cited references analysis is also proved to be a proper method for studies on citing behavior and can be a bridge between information behavior and informetric. The practical implication is that academic communities are supposed to encourage the use of information with high quality. Universities, research institutions and public libraries should provide sources that scientists prefer and promote informal information channels. Education of academic literacy and information literacy is also very significant.