{"title":"Journal self-citations trends in sport sciences: an analysis of disciplinary journals from 2013 to 2022","authors":"Hunter Bennett, Ben Singh, Flynn Slattery","doi":"10.1007/s11192-024-05096-y","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study reports on the yearly rate of journal self-citation (JSC) in sport sciences, how it changes over time, and its association with journal impact factor (JIF). Citations made by all 87 journals in “sport sciences” from 2013 to 2022 were extracted, as was their 2022 JIF. JSC rates were calculated using a Poisson distribution method. A mixed-effects negative binomial regression examined changes in yearly JSC rates over time. The association between average JSC rates and JIF were compared using a negative binomial regression. The median JSC rate was 6.3 self-citations per 100 citations. JSC rates are increasing in sport sciences by ~ 10% per year (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.1, 95% CI 1.1–1.2; <i>trivial effect</i>). There was a significant negative association between JSC rate and JIF (IRR = 0.9, 95% CI 0.9, 1.0; <i>trivial effect</i>). Contrary to observations made in prior literature examining broader disciplines, the increasing JSC rate in sport sciences may be attributed to the growing maturity of this novel discipline. As sport-science topic areas become more established and appear in discipline specific journals, more JSCs may occur due to an increasing body of literature in these journals. The negative association between JSC rate and JIF may be due to specialized and less visible journals having a naturally lower JIF, as their impact is confined to a narrower field.</p>","PeriodicalId":21755,"journal":{"name":"Scientometrics","volume":"54 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Scientometrics","FirstCategoryId":"91","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-024-05096-y","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"COMPUTER SCIENCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY APPLICATIONS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study reports on the yearly rate of journal self-citation (JSC) in sport sciences, how it changes over time, and its association with journal impact factor (JIF). Citations made by all 87 journals in “sport sciences” from 2013 to 2022 were extracted, as was their 2022 JIF. JSC rates were calculated using a Poisson distribution method. A mixed-effects negative binomial regression examined changes in yearly JSC rates over time. The association between average JSC rates and JIF were compared using a negative binomial regression. The median JSC rate was 6.3 self-citations per 100 citations. JSC rates are increasing in sport sciences by ~ 10% per year (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.1, 95% CI 1.1–1.2; trivial effect). There was a significant negative association between JSC rate and JIF (IRR = 0.9, 95% CI 0.9, 1.0; trivial effect). Contrary to observations made in prior literature examining broader disciplines, the increasing JSC rate in sport sciences may be attributed to the growing maturity of this novel discipline. As sport-science topic areas become more established and appear in discipline specific journals, more JSCs may occur due to an increasing body of literature in these journals. The negative association between JSC rate and JIF may be due to specialized and less visible journals having a naturally lower JIF, as their impact is confined to a narrower field.
期刊介绍:
Scientometrics aims at publishing original studies, short communications, preliminary reports, review papers, letters to the editor and book reviews on scientometrics. The topics covered are results of research concerned with the quantitative features and characteristics of science. Emphasis is placed on investigations in which the development and mechanism of science are studied by means of (statistical) mathematical methods.
The Journal also provides the reader with important up-to-date information about international meetings and events in scientometrics and related fields. Appropriate bibliographic compilations are published as a separate section. Due to its fully interdisciplinary character, Scientometrics is indispensable to research workers and research administrators throughout the world. It provides valuable assistance to librarians and documentalists in central scientific agencies, ministries, research institutes and laboratories.
Scientometrics includes the Journal of Research Communication Studies. Consequently its aims and scope cover that of the latter, namely, to bring the results of research investigations together in one place, in such a form that they will be of use not only to the investigators themselves but also to the entrepreneurs and research workers who form the object of these studies.