Scientific information consumption habits in Marine Sciences: citation patterns analysis of a National Research Institute

Abstract

The dynamics of scientific publication implies that the current pieces of work rely on precedent ones, configuring themselves as the base for future research. This work presents a bibliometric analysis of the bibliographic references contained in the papers published by the Institute of Marine Biology (IBM) and the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP) during the period 1961-2019, in order to determine its researchers’ information consumption habits and inner citation patterns. In particular, it is intended to reveal whether the scientific production generated within this Institute is eventually transformed by its personnel into supply of future research; and whether there is thematic affinity between IBM/INIDEP’s publications and the papers that its researchers consume and produce. The descriptive and correlational statistical calculations allow the conclusion that most of the efforts dedicated to IBM/INIDEP’s production are not considered by its own researchers as sources upon which new scientific papers are based, although there is indeed thematic affinity between the citing papers, the cited production and, even, the institutional interests.