Dynamics and impacts of research in digital libraries (2019-2024)

a bibliometric study based on the web of science

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5433/1981-8920.2026v31n2p295

Keywords:

Digital libraries, Bibliometrics, Scientific production, Citation analysis

Abstract

Objective: To conduct a bibliometric analysis of scientific production on digital libraries indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database between 2019 and 2024, focusing on identifying thematic trends, collaborative dynamics, and patterns of academic impact.
Methodology: This involved the analysis of 931 articles using the Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny packages in the RStudio environment.
Results: The results show a scientifically dense and collaborative production, with a predominance of international co-authorships, highlighting the United States, Brazil, Russia, and India as strategic geographic hubs. A hybrid authorial nucleus was identified, which combines high productivity with significant contributions in cooperative networks. The analysis of keywords and thematic maps revealed the consolidation of central themes, such as impact assessment, technological adoption, and institutional repositories, as well as the emergence of topics in conceptual development. Despite the continuous increase in the volume of publications, there was a downward trend in the average citation impact in recent years, a phenomenon attributed to the limited citation window for the processing and maturation of newer studies.
Conclusions: It is concluded that the field of digital libraries presents interdisciplinary maturity, but still faces challenges regarding thematic integration and effectiveness in scientific dissemination. The findings provide support for development policies, strengthening collaborative networks and developing information agendas aligned with the current challenges of Information Science.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Remi Correia Lapa, Federal University of Pernambuco

PhD candidate in Information Science at the Graduate Program in Information Science (PPGCI) at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE). Librarian at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE). Recife, Brasil.

Renato Fernandes Corrêa, Federal University of Pernambuco

PhD in Computer Science from the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE). Faculty member in the Department of Information Science and the Graduate Program in Information Science (PPGCI) at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE). Recife, Brasil.

Cínthia Maria Silva de Holanda, Federal University of Pernambuco

PhD candidate in Information Science at the Graduate Program in Information Science (PPGCI) at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE). Librarian at the Universidade de Pernambuco (UPE). Recife, Brasil.

Raimundo Nonato Macedo dos Santos, Federal University of Pernambuco

Holds a doctorate in Strategic Information and Technological Monitoring from Université Paul Cézanne Aix Marseille III (AMU/França). Faculty member of the Graduate Program in Information Science (PPGCI) at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE). Recife, Brasil.

References

ALZAHRANI, A. I.; MAHMUD, I.; RAMAUAH, T.; ALFARRAJ, O.; ALALWAN, N. Modelling digital library success using the DeLone and McLean information system success model. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, [S. l.], v. 51, n. 2, ago. 2019. Disponível em: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0961000617726123. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

ARIA, M.; CUCCURULLO, C. Bibliometrix: an R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, [S. l.], v. 11, n. 4, p. 959-975, 2017. Disponível em: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1751157717300500. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

BAHIA, E. M. S.; SANTOS, R. N. M.; BLATTMAN, U. Estudo bibliométrico sobre preservação digital: Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA). Encontros Bibli: revista Eletrônica de Biblioteconomia e Ciência da Informação, Florianópolis, n. esp., 1º sem. 2011. Disponível em: https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/eb/article/view/1518-2924.2011v16nesp1p91. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

BARBOSA, E.; ECHTERNACHT, T. H. S.; FERREIRA, D. L.; LUCENA, W. G. L. Uma análise bibliométrica da Revista Brasileira de Contabilidade no período de 2003 a 2006. In: CONGRESSO USP DE INICIAÇÃO CIENTÍFICA EM CONTABILIDADE, 5., 2008, São Paulo. Anais [...]. São Paulo: USP, 2008. Disponível em: https://congressousp.fipecafi.org/anais/artigos82008/618.pdf. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

BORGMAN, C. L. The invisible library: paradox of the global information infrastructure. Library Trends, [S. l.], v. 51, n. 4, p. 652-674, 2003. Disponível em: https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/items/8446. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

BORNMANN, L.; DANIEL, H. D. What do citation counts measure? a review of studies on citing behavior. Journal of Documentation, [S. l.], v. 64, n. 1, p. 45–80, jan. 2008. Disponível em: https://www.emerald.com/jd/article-abstract/64/1/45/222089/What-do-citation-counts-measure-A-review-of?redirectedFrom=fulltext. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

BUFREM, L. S.; PRATES, Y. O saber científico registrado e as práticas de mensuração da informação. Ciência da Informação, Brasília, v. 34, n. 2, p. 9-25, maio/ago. 2005. Disponível em: https://www.scielo.br/j/ci/a/Z4hZ66NGY7mYdpgWgCNvTKK/?lang=pt. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

CAMARGO, L. S.; BARBOSA, R. R. Bibliometria, cienciometria e um possível caminho para a construção de indicadores e mapas da produção científica. PontoDeAcesso, Salvador, v. 12, n. 3, p. 109-125, dez. 2018. Disponível em: https://periodicos.ufba.br/index.php/revistaici/article/view/28408. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

CAMARGO, M. F.; ZANETTI, L. S.; CELERE, N. T. M. Aplicação da bibliometria no acervo da produção científica da EESC: análise das estatísticas de consulta. In: SEMINÁRIO NACIONAL DE BIBLIOTECAS UNIVERSITÁRIAS, 16., 2010, São Conrado, Rio de Janeiro. Anais [...]. São Conrado, Rio de Janeiro: SNBU, 2010. Disponível em: http://repositorio.febab.org.br/files/original/48/5546/SNBU2010_204.pdf. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

CHISITA, C. T. Libraries in the midst of the Coronavirus (covid-19): researchers experiences in dealing with the vexatious infodemic. Library Hi Tech News, [S. l.], v. 37, n. 6, p. 11-14, 2020. Disponível em: https://www.emerald.com/lhtn/article-abstract/37/6/11/269190/Libraries-in-the-midst-of-the-Coronavirus-COVID-19?redirectedFrom=fulltext. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

CHOWDHURY, G. From digital libraries to digital preservation research: the importance of users and contexto. Journal of Documentation, [S. l.], v. 66, n. 2, p. 207-223, 2010. Disponível em: https://tefkos.comminfo.rutgers.edu/Courses/Zadar/Readings/Chowdhury%20dig%20pres%20J%20Doc%202009.pdf. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

CONNELL, R. S.; WALLIS, L. C.; COMEAUX, D. The impacto of covid-19 on the use of academic library resources. Information Technology & Libraries, [S. l.], jun. 2021. Disponível em: https://ital.corejournals.org/index.php/ital/article/view/12629. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

CUNHA, M. B. Desafios na construção de uma biblioteca digital. Ciência da Informação, Brasília, v. 28, n. 3, p. 257-268, set./dez. 1999. Disponível em: https://www.scielo.br/j/ci/a/Wb33LWZdjFTqxTrRhpDbwcp/?lang=pt. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

GULERIA, D.; KAUR, G. Bibliometric analysis of ecopreneurship using VOSviewer and RStudio bibliometrix, 1989-2019. Library Hi Tech, [S. l.], v. 39, n. 4, p. 1001-1024, 2021. Disponível em: https://www.emerald.com/lht/article-abstract/39/4/1001/266410/Bibliometric-analysis-of-ecopreneurship-using?redirectedFrom=fulltext. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

GUSENBAUER, M. Search where you will find most: Comparing the disciplinary coverage of 56 bibliographic databases. Scientometrics, [S.l.], v. 127, p. 2683-2745, 2022. Disponível em: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11192-022-04289-7. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

HABIB, R; AFZAL, M. T. Sections-based bibliographic coupling for research paper recommendation. Scientometrics, [S.l.], v. 119, n. 2, p. 643-656, maio 2019. Disponível em: https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/scient/v119y2019i2d10.1007_s11192-019-03053-8.html. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

IHAKA, R.; GENTLEMAN, R. R: A language for data analysis and graphics. Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics, [S. l.], v. 5, n. 3, p. 299-314, 1996. Disponível em: https://www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/~ihaka/downloads/R-paper.pdf. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

LI, S. et al. Problems and Changes in Digital Libraries in the Age of Big Data From the Perspective of User Services. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, [S.l.], v. 45, n. 1, p. 22-30, jan. 2019. Disponível em: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0099133318302532. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

LU, W. et al. Detecting research topic trends by author-defined keyword frequency. Information Processing & Management, [S.l.], v. 58, n. 4, jul. 2021. Disponível em: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306457321000935. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

MEHTA, D.; WANG, X. COVID-19 and digital library services – a case study of a university library. Digital Library Perspectives, [S.l.], v. 36, n. 4, p. 351-363, ago. 2020. Disponível em: https://www.sciencedirect.com/org/science/article/abs/pii/S2059581620000100. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

MUEHLBERGER, G. et al. Transforming scholarship in the archives through handwritten text recognition: Transkribus as a case study. Journal of Documentation, [S.l.], v. 75, n. 5, p. 954-976, jun. 2019. Disponível em: https://www.sciencedirect.com/org/science/article/pii/S0022041819000080. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

OHIRA, M. L. B.; PRADO, N. S. Bibliotecas virtuais e digitais: análise de artigos de periódicos brasileiros (1995/2000). Ciência da Informação, Brasília, v. 31, n. 1, 2002. Disponível em: https://www.semanticscholar.org/reader/61576650213114cc4b6d7f2cb1ca102b137d0b68. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

PRITCHARD, A. Statistical bibliography or bibliometrics? Journal of Documentation, [S. l.], v. 25, n. 4, p. 348-349, 1969. Disponível em: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236031787_Statistical_Bibliography_or_Bibliometrics. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

REZENDE, F. E. Rae-eletrônica: exploração do acervo à luz da bibliometria, geoanálise e redes sociais. Revista de Administração de Empresas, v. 51, n. 3, p. 280-306, jun. 2011. Disponível em: https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=155119144007. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

SANTOS-D'AMORIM, K. I. NASCIMENTO, B. L. C.; CAMPOS, S. R. L.; CORREA, R. F. Bibliotecas digitais e a pandemia de covid-19: mapeamento de estratégias. BIBLOS: Revista do Instituto de Ciências Humanas e da Informação, Rio Grande, v. 36, n. 1, 2022. Disponível em: https://periodicos.furg.br/biblos/article/view/14202. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

SCHNEIDER, J. et al. Continued post-retraction citation of a fraudulent clinical trial report, 11 years after it was retracted for falsifying data. Scientometrics, [S.l.], v. 125, p. 2877-2913, out. 2020. Disponível em: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11192-020-03631-1. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

SILVA, M. R; HAYASHI, C. R.; HAYASHI, M. C. P. I. Análise bibliométrica e cientométrica: desafios para especialistas que atuam no campo. InCID: revista de Ciência da Informação e Documentação, Ribeirão Preto, v. 2, n. 1, p. 110-129, jan./jun. 2011. Disponível em: https://revistas.usp.br/incid/pt_BR/article/view/42337. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

TAMMARO, A. M.; SALARELLI, A. A biblioteca digital. Brasília, DF: Briquet de Lemos, 2008.

TAVARES, W. Q.; CELERINO, V. G. Análise e uso dos metadados na recuperação e preservação das bibliotecas digitais. Folha de Rosto: revista de Biblioteconomia e Ciência da Informação, Juazeiro do Norte, v.4, n. 2, p. 57-66, jul./dez., 2018. Disponível em: https://periodicos.ufca.edu.br/ojs/index.php/folhaderosto/article/view/281. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

UPADHAYAY, D. Digital library: an innovation in infrastructure in learning and development amongst students. Iars, [S. l.], v. 10, n. 1, 2020. Disponível em: https://researth.iars.info/index.php/curie/article/view/111. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

WAN, G.; LIU, Z. Content-based information retrieval and digital libraries. Information Technology and Libraries, [S. l.], v. 27, n. 1, p. 41-47, 2008. Disponível em: https://ital.corejournals.org/index.php/ital/article/view/3262. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

WANG, C. PAN, R.; WAN, X; TAN, Y.; XU, L.; HO, C. S.; HO, R. C. Immediate psychological responses and associated factors during the initial stage of the 2019 coronavirus disease (covid-19) epidemic among the general population in China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, [S. l.], v. 17, n. 5, 2020. Disponível em: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32155789/. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

WU, Z. et al. A user sensitive subject protection approach for book search service. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, [S.l.], v. 71, n. 2, p. 183-195, fev. 2019. Disponível em: https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jinfst/v71y2020i2p183-195.html Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

YAN, Q. et al. Exploring the relationship between electronic health records and provider burnout: A systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, [S.l.], v. 28, n. 5, p. 1009-1021, 2021. Disponível: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33659988/. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

ZAREEF, M.; AHMAD, P. The impact of covid-19 on university library services: a systematic literature review. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal), [S. l.], jul. 2021. Disponível em: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354199382_The_Impact_of_COVID-19_on_University_Library_Services_A_Systematic_Literature_Review. Acesso em: 19 jul. 2026.

Published

2026-08-21

How to Cite

Lapa, R. C., Corrêa, R. F., Holanda, C. M. S. de, & Santos, R. N. M. dos. (2026). Dynamics and impacts of research in digital libraries (2019-2024): a bibliometric study based on the web of science. Informação & Informação, 31(2), 295–321. https://doi.org/10.5433/1981-8920.2026v31n2p295