Assessing the impact of indigenous research on the library and information studies literature

Abstract

Introduction. This paper investigates the impact that indigenous library and information research has made on the literature and scholarly outputs of the profession. Method. Searches were made in four major databases for papers on indigenous library and information issues. Cross-checks of the library-focused journals in the information and library sciences section of the Journal Citation Reports were conducted, and the major journals from New Zealand, Australia, and North America were scanned to ensure that all items were captured. Analysis. Search results were downloaded and analysed for their relevance to this research, the number of citations received and where it had been published. The full article was checked for items assessed as being of marginal or no interest for the research to confirm their status. Results. The investigation demonstrated that despite indigenous issues having a high profile within the professions in Australia, New Zealand and North America, this is not reflected within the literature. This is particularly evident in highest-ranking publications. Conclusion. The number of research articles that are published on indigenous library and information management issues will continue to be very low until there is an increase in indigenous researchers and faculty members with specialist skills.