References in communication policy research: a bibliographical characterization of articles published by Spanish authors

Abstract

This paper provides a characterization of the bibliographicalreferences of Spanish scientific articles in the field ofcommunication policy using a bibliometric approach. Itanalyses 93 articles published by authors from Spanishinstitutions between 2002 and 2011 in major Spanish journalsincluded on the communication section of both the IN RECSindex and the Social Sciences Citation Index. The paperexamines the main references used by Spanish communicationpolicy researchers and the typology of these references, theirSpanish or international character and the most cited authorsin this field. The results show the disparity and adaptability ofarticles depending on the scope of the journals in which theyare published. Thus, articles published in international journalscontain more than twice as many references as those appearingin Spanish journals. The typology is also different; articles arethe most common source in international journals while bookspredominate in Spanish journals. These results are analyzed inthe context of the institutionalized practices of scientificproduction approved by university assessment agencies; theseare compared with the actual practices of researchers throughan analysis of the main bibliographical references.