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Abstract Following a general discussion of reviews and of the problems of identification and definition, the literature on user studies, both of reviews and scientific literature in general, is briefly and selectively surveyed. Given the apparent usefulness of reviews and their high cost of production, there has been surprisingly little research into the uses made of reviews. A theoretical framework for future research in this area is proposed. Reviews appear to fulfill two interlocking roles: that of forming an integral part of the development of science (historical functions) and that of supplying individual workers with information about the current development of science and its literature (contemporary functions).
A.M. Woodward (1977) studied this question.