“Unbury” the Book Chapter?: An Investigation of Library and Information Science Book Chapters from Edited Collections in Scholarly Indexes

Abstract

Publishing a book chapter in an edited collection carries a perception that doing so is akin to
“burying” one’s work. This research investigates whether book chapters from edited collections
within the field of library and information science suffer from discovery challenges in three indexing
databases: Google Scholar, Web of Science Book Citation Index (BKCI), and Dimensions. Findings
show a consistent lack of comprehensive indexing across all three indices. This research also sought to
answer questions about open access and book chapters; due to the lack of discoverability of half of the
book chapters, however, these questions could not be addressed. The results highlight concerns about
the discoverability of book chapters within edited collections, particularly in the field of library and
information science, while also examining potential avenues to increase discovery