Literature core zones adjusted by impact factors

Abstract

This paper reports a study of the effect of adjusting the frequency of occurrence of journals with impact factors in the literatures of acid rain, superconductivity and management by objectives. Three different Bradford methods were used to demarcate the core-zone journals of the literatures. The effects of adjustment by impact factors created three paradigms: (1) the acid rain literature illustrated the first paradigm, where journals from the unadjusted literature were thrust forward in the adjusted literature, and no unadjusted journal fell into obscurity: (2) the superconductivity literature illustrated the second paradigm, where the most voluminous journal was also the most prestigious and led both the unadjusted and adjusted literatures; and (3) the management by objectives literature illustrated the third paradigm, where the adjustment by impact factors only churned the placement of the journals.