Evolution of 21st Century Scientific Production Indexed in Web of Science on Old and New Cataloging Standards

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of scientific production in the 21st century on new cataloging standards—BIBFRAME, LRM, and RDA—and their predecessors—MARC 21, FRBR, and AACR2, respectively. The primary objective is to determine whether the emergence of new cataloging standards marks a turning point in researchers' interest in studying these standards; and, concurrently, whether old standards still generate interest during this transitional period. For this purpose, bibliographic searches by topic were conducted in the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection from 2001 to 2024, and the collected data were systematized in comparative linear graphs for analysis. The findings indicate persistent interest in MARC 21 and FRBR, albeit decreasing, while interest in AACR2 has completely disappeared, being replaced by interest in RDA. Additionally, the study shows that the official publication of a new standard does not represent a rigid temporal boundary that necessarily marks the beginning of research on this new standard and the end of research on the preceding standard.

Keywords

• Cataloging standards
• MARC 21
• BIBFRAME
• FRBR
• RDA.