Mapping the intellectual impact of library and information science research through citations: A tale of two databases – Scopus and Web of Science

Abstract This study uses citations to a group of 42 LIS faculty members to examine the differences between Scopus and WoS in mapping the faculties' intellectual impact, focusing on the sources of their citations by universities, journals, and countries. The study also examines the effects of adding Scopus data on results obtained from WoS. Findings show that while Scopus does not significantly influence the rankings of the top citing journals, institutions, or countries, the database is necessary to use in addition to WoS in order to accurately map the intellectual impact of the faculty members examined and identify more correctly the extent of their research influence on the wider scientific community.