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Citation Patterns and Research Trends in Doctoral Theses of Commerce: An Analytical Study at the University of Delhi

4 Department of Library and Information Science, Central Institute of Knowledge Studies, New Delhi, India
4 Department of Library and Information Science, National College of Information Studies, Jaipur, India

Abstract

Citation analysis provides a systematic means of examining the intellectual structure, information-use behaviour, and scholarly communication patterns reflected in research literature. Doctoral theses are particularly valuable for citation analysis because they represent sustained research activity and incorporate diverse sources accumulated during the development of scholarly arguments. The present paper examines citation patterns and research trends associated with doctoral theses in Commerce at the University of Delhi, with particular emphasis on the analytical dimensions relevant to bibliographic and information-science research. The study adopts a documentary and analytical approach, positioning citation behaviour within established patterns of source use, journal scattering, disciplinary literature dependence, and referencing practices. The methodological framework considers authorship, source categories, journal utilization, disciplinary distribution, and citation characteristics as principal analytical dimensions. The literature synthesis demonstrates that citation analysis has been applied effectively to doctoral theses across Commerce, Economics, Social Sciences, Library and Information Science, Psychology, Education, Political Science, and other disciplines. Previous investigations indicate that citation behaviour can reveal researchers' preferences for particular information sources, the concentration or dispersion of scholarly literature, and the changing structure of disciplinary communication (Kagra, S. K., 2019; Kaur, P., & Sehgal, P. C., 2021). The study consequently positions doctoral-thesis citation analysis as both an evaluative bibliometric technique and an evidence-based mechanism for collection development and research-support planning. Particular attention is given to the relevance of citation patterns for academic libraries supporting Commerce research at the University of Delhi.

Keywords

References

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