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Dissertation Information for Patrice A. Clemson

NAME:
- Patrice A. Clemson

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- University of Pittsburgh (USA) (2003)

ADVISORS:
- Christinger L. Tomer

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Arlene G. Taylor
- David Robins
- Edward T. O'Neill

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: The relationship between backlinks and persistence on the WWW: A bibliometric approach

Abstract: Search engines, searchers and cataloging agencies have a continuing interest in maintaining links to documents in the ever-changing and growing body of material on the World Wide Web. New models are needed for identifying useful and relevant materials from the millions of pages on the World Wide Web. The aim of this study was to determine if a statistically significant correlation exists between the number of links to a Web page and the length of time that a Web page exists. Related to this are the questions of whether there is a body of worthwhile material on the World Wide Web for bibliographic agencies to catalog and whether backlinking (i.e., citation by one Web page to another) would have any predictive value in identifying these materials. This study used a random sample of 2942 Web sites assembled by the Online Computer Library Center Web Characterization Project (WCP). These sites were searched on the Google search engine over a period of seven months and data were collected on the number of backlinks and the URLs of the top 20 backlinks to each site. Web sites with the highest numbers of backlinks were identified, along with sites having other rates of citation activity, sites with zero citations and those sites not found on the Google index. Analyses were performed on the sites with backlinks. The study provided confirmation for some theories about World Wide Web sites, and how people use and cite them. Observations about prevalence and the changing nature of U.S. commercial (.com) sites were reflected in the data. Merton's concept of cumulative advantage was also reflected in the study's results. Although stability was found to be a strong trait of backlinked Web sites backlinking was not found to be a predictor of stability. The study found no structures for self-organization in the WCP sample. Furthermore, persistence of a Web site may be a wholly independent issue from the measurement of backlinks to that site.

MPACT Scores for Patrice A. Clemson

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:25:04

Advisors and Advisees Graph

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Students under Patrice A. Clemson

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- None