Journal Co-Citation Analysis

Journal co-citation analysis is a bibliometric method that maps the intellectual structure of a research field by analyzing how frequently pairs of journals are cited together in the same papers. Two journals are co-cited when papers cite both journals, indicating that the journals are perceived as intellectually related by the citing authors. This extension of paper-level co-citation analysis to the journal level reveals the topological structure of journal relationships, disciplinary boundaries, and the role of different journals within research communities.