Using Network Analysis to Compare Bibliographic Database Journal Coverage

A wide spectrum of rigor exists in systematic literature review methods. This article argues review methods should include both a preliminary discussion justifying where and a secondary protocol explaining how a literature search is conducted. Journal title overlap analysis is one way to justify where a literature search is conducted. A new application of social network analysis is presented to conduct journal title overlap analysis. The results indicate novel uses for citation indexes to verify literature search results. This new type of overlap analysis is contextualized with discussions of feasibility and arguments for greater collaboration between subject librarians and researchers.