Support for Biological Research by an Academic Library: A Journal Citation Study

Abstract

Abstract Results of a study analyzing citations to journal articles in publications of the biology faculty at a large research university are presented. The 140 source items analyzed contained 4,913 journal references to 708 journals, of which 4,231 references were unique. The top 100 titles were ranked according to total citations by faculty members, and the results compared to rankings based on data in Journal Citation Reports Faculty citations were compared to journal holdings at the university, and survey forms were distributed to faculty citing volumes not held. Reprints, traveling to another library, and personal subscriptions were the most common methods of obtaining these items.