Viittaushyllyjä

Viittaushyllyjä, sometimes translated as reference shelves or bibliographical shelves, are a concept found in some information science and library contexts. They represent a theoretical or organizational framework used to manage and categorize information based on its citation patterns and relationships. Instead of organizing materials by subject alone, viittaushyllyjä consider how works are cited by others and how they themselves cite previous works. This approach aims to reveal connections between documents that might not be apparent through traditional classification systems.

The idea behind viittaushyllyjä is that the citation network of a document provides valuable metadata. A document frequently cited by others, for instance, might be considered a foundational or highly influential work. Conversely, a document that cites many other works might be seen as a comprehensive review or a work that builds upon existing knowledge. By grouping documents based on these citation relationships, one could theoretically create "shelves" where highly cited works are clustered together, or where works that cite each other are co-located.

While the term "viittaushyllyjä" might not be widely used in standard library practice, the underlying principles are reflected in various bibliometric and research evaluation tools. Tools that analyze citation networks, identify influential papers, or map research trends are, in a sense, operationalizing the concept of viittaushyllyjä by leveraging citation data to organize and understand intellectual landscapes. The practical implementation of a physical "viittaushylly" system in a library setting is rare, but the conceptual framework continues to influence how information scientists think about knowledge organization and the discovery of related content.