Mapping the Structure and Development of Science Using Co-citation Analysis

Co-citation analysis is a unique method used for studying the cognitive structure of science and assessing the research productivity. It is a research tool for examining the intellectual development and structure of the scientific discipline. This paper illustrates principles, techniques and applications of co-citation analysis. It also introduces the newly emerging co-citation analysis softwares, especially SciVal Spotlight and CiteSpace. Co-citation analysis is based on grouping together the papers that are frequently cited in pairs. Combined with single-link clustering and multidimensional scaling techniques, co-citation analysis can literally map the structure of specialized research areas as well as science as a whole