Journal proliferation and journal specialization in chemistry, 1931 to 198

Journal proliferation and specialization have been viewed by some as obstacles to scientific communication in chemistry. Others have considered journal specialization as an aid to communication in chemistry. But proliferation of chemistry journals has been linked to proliferation of specialized journals. In this study, journal proliferation and its relationship to journal specialization in chemistry between 1931 and 1980 was investigated. Histories of 218 core journals in general chemistry and two subdisciplines of chemistry, biochemistry and physical chemistry, were examined for characteristics related to journal proliferation and specialization. This was a bibliometric publication count study. It was directed toward the development of one component of a theory of journal specialization in chemistry, the relationship between journal proliferation and journal specialization.;These were the major findings. Journal proliferation in these three subject categories between 1931 and 1980 was due more to growth in the number of specialized biochemistry and physical chemistry journals than to growth in the number of general chemistry journals. In 1931, commercial publishers produced a minority of specialized journals. By 1980, while general chemistry journals were produced chiefly by noncommercial publishers, specialized biochemistry and physical chemistry journals were produced chiefly by commercial publishers and contributed more to journal proliferation than general chemistry journals produced by noncommercial publishers. In 1931, as in 1980, a majority of core journals in these three subjects were published in a small number of countries. In 1980, more than two-thirds of general chemistry core journals and more than one-third of biochemistry and of physical chemistry core journals were produced by national scientific organization. Political geography was thus one factor, not noted before, which helps to explain proliferation of journals in these three categories of chemistry journals from 1931 to 1980.