Information use pattern in economics

Bibliometric analysis of 24,699 citations appended to 192 doctoral dissertations in the field of economics accepted by Andhra University has been carried out to determine the use pattern of the literature by the researchers in economics. The study attempted to identify the bibliographic form and subject wise distribution of citations, authorship pattern, and obsolescence of literature in economics. The finding reveals that nearly 38% citations were from books and 35% from journals. The subject distribution of theses reveals that more than half of the theses submitted during the period are on Industrial Economics followed by Labor Economics. The study on authorship pattern reveals that majority of the contributions are from single author. The half life of economics literature is 14½ years.