A Co-Citation Study of AIDS Research

Abstract

A co-citation analysis of research on acquired immune deficiency syndrome is presented, covering the years 1982 to 1987. Through the use of cluster strings and co-citation maps at various levels of aggregation, the development of the field is traced, including major findings and shifts in research emphasis. The implications of this case of a rapidly growing research area for the development of scientific fields in general are explored, in particular the relation of changes in the bibliometric structure to changes in scientific knowledge and understanding.