The Evolution and Development Landscape of Scholarly Communication Based on the Analysis of Published Articles
This bibliometric study maps the research landscape of scholarly communication from 1996 to 2021 using Web of Science data and literature visualization tools. Rather than offering a normative argument for reform, it provides an empirical panorama of how the field has evolved: from a closed, publication-centric model dominated by journals and citation indices toward an open, networked ecosystem characterized by social media dissemination, altmetrics, preprints, and globalized collaboration. The analysis identifies both enduring classic concerns—citation behavior, scientific comprehension, informal communication—and newer thematic clusters tied to open access, social networking, and digital evaluation frameworks. The article concludes that scholarly communication is undergoing a structural transformation toward digitalization, openness, socialization, networking, and enhanced accessibility.
Key Points
- Methodology: Leverages bibliometric visualization tools (CiteSpace, VOSviewer, etc.) to analyze articles from Web of Science spanning 1996–2021, identifying research themes, citation bursts, and historical roots.
- Classic enduring themes: Seminal works continue to revolve around citation behavior, scientific comprehension, communication patterns, and online/informal collaboration (e.g., Garvey & Griffith, Cronin, Borgman).
- Recent thematic shifts (post-2010):
- Information dissemination via social media — Twitter, Academia.edu, ResearchGate, and altmetrics have become central objects of study.
- Scientific assessment & altmetrics — New evaluation frameworks rooted in modern social media activity, moving beyond journal impact factors.
- Open access — Transition from subscription models to green, gold, and diamond OA pathways.
- Preprint culture — The rise of arXiv, bioRxiv, and COVID-19-era rapid dissemination.
- Social networking & globalization — Cross-border, interdisciplinary, and digitally mediated scholarly communities.
- Historical roots identified: The field builds on foundational work in invisible colleges (Crane), scientific communication systems (Garvey & Griffith), and the sociology of science (Latour, de Solla Price).
- Structural transformation: The prevailing model has shifted from a closed, article-centric, nationally bounded system to an open network characterized by:
- Digitalization — Born-digital workflows replacing print-centric production.
- Openness — Open access, open data, open peer review, open science.
- Socialization — Social media as both dissemination channel and scholarly venue.
- Networking — Distributed, non-hierarchical collaboration replacing institutional silos.
- Enhanced accessibility — Removal of paywalls and geographic barriers to knowledge.
- Connection to SpiritWiki: This article empirically validates the historical trajectory that the SpiritWiki seeks to accelerate. By documenting the bibliometric evidence that scholarly communication is already moving toward openness and networking, it provides data-driven support for the SpiritWiki’s claim that knowledge ecosystems—not journals—are the emergent future of scholarly infrastructure.