Abstract
Recent expert evaluations of the condition and funding of educational research in the USA assume that basic research in the social sciences is a crucial factor in increasing our understanding and ultimately improving the practice of education (see, for example, the 1977 report1 of the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Fundamental Research Relevant to Education). Past tests of this assumption, however, have generally relied upon argument by example or anecdote. In the present study, we analyze citation patterns in the education literature to test the corollary proposition that basic research in the social sciences has had a substantial impact on the literature in education. Empirical data collected on citation patterns in the education literature are found to be largely consistent with this proposition.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
S. KIESLER, C. TURNER (Eds.).Fundamental Research and the Process of Education, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D. C. 1977.
L. CRONBACH P. SUPPES (Eds.)Research for Tomorrow's Schools: Disciplined Inquiry for Education, (Report of the Committee on Educational Research of the National Academy of Education) Macmillan, New York, 1969.
Geraldine CLIFFORD, A history of the impact of teaching, in R. TRAVERS (Ed.),Second Handbook of Research on Teaching, Rand McNally, Chicago, 1973.
J. MARGOLIS, Citation Indexing and the Evaluation of Scientific Papers,Science, 20 March, 155, (1967) 1213–1219.
E. GARFIELD, Citation Analysis as a Tool for Science Policy Studies.Science, 3 November 178, (1972) 471–479.
G. GILBERT, S. WOOLGAR, The Quantitative Study of Science.Science Studies, 4, (1974) 279–294.
J. M. BRITTAIN,Citation Patterns in the Social Sciences: results of pilot citation study. Unpublished manuscript; University Library, Bath University of Technology (England): October, 1972 (ERIC No. ED-078-867).
P. BARRON, F. NARIN, Analysis of Research Journals and Related Research Structure in Education. Computer Horizons (Chicago, IL), unpublished (ERIC No. Ed-072-787).
F. NARIN, S. D. GARSIDE, Journal Relationships in Special Education,Exceptional Children, 38, (1972) 695–702.
M. GILES, G. WRIGHT: Political scientists evaluation of 63 journals.Political Science, 8, (1975) 254.
R. HAWKINS, L. RITTER, I. WALTER, What economists think of their journals.Journal of Political Economics, 81, (1973) 1017–1032.
K. MACE H. WARNER. Ratings of psychology journals.American Psychologist, 28, (1973) 184–186.
J. COMROE, R. DRIPPS. Scientific Bases for the Support of Biomedical Science.Science, 9 April, 192, (1976) 105–111.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Turner, C.F., Kiesler, S.B. The impact of basic research in the social sciences: The case of education. Scientometrics 3, 177–190 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02101664
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02101664