Citation-based clustering of publications using CitNetExplorer and VOSviewer

Area of Science:

• Bibliometrics
• Informetrics
• Scientific Communication

Background:

• Clustering scientific publications is crucial for bibliometric research.
• Analyzing citation networks helps understand research landscapes.

Purpose of the Study:

• Demonstrate using CitNetExplorer and VOSviewer for publication clustering.
• Analyze clustering solutions for bibliometric insights.

Main Methods:

• Clustering publications based on direct citation relations using CitNetExplorer.
• Analyzing clustering solutions with CitNetExplorer (individual level) and VOSviewer (aggregate level).
• Utilizing visualizations for enhanced analysis.

Main Results:

• Successfully clustered a large publication set in astronomy and astrophysics.
• Showcased combined use of CitNetExplorer and VOSviewer for comprehensive analysis.
• Demonstrated effective visualization of publication clusters.

Conclusions:

• Freely available software enables sophisticated publication clustering and analysis.
• Bibliometricians can perform advanced analyses without deep technical expertise.
• The approach simplifies complex bibliometric tasks for researchers.