Library and information science : a domain analysis of the discipline and its intellectual structure from the perspective of the two paradigms library and information

The aim of this study was to conduct a domain analysis of the intellectual structure of Library and Information Science (LIS) from the perspective of Richard Rubins’ (2016) notion of the discipline as consisting of two separate paradigms: a library-paradigm and an information-paradigm. In accordance with the purpose of the study and the theoretical definition of the field of LIS, seven library science journals and five information science journals were identified as the basis of the study. Accordingly, bibliographic data from 5556 documents, published between the years of 2015-2022, were collected from the Web of Science. The library-paradigm revolves around the research areas of academic libraries, information literacy and library instruction. The information-paradigm is both founded on and driven by a technological incentive with strong interdisciplinary ties with computer science. In conclusion, the library-paradigm consists of research areas that to a greater extent are identified as information science research areas than the other way around. To some degree, the result shows that it is reasonable to adhere to the notion of a library-paradigm and an information-paradigm within LIS. However, the close ties between library science and information science implies that the discipline of LIS should not be considered to consist of the two paradigms. On the contrary the discipline should be regarded as consisting of library and information science and that these two spheres of the field should not be separated when conducting an analysis of its intellectual structure