Date of this Version
2026
Document Type
Article
Citation
Rankin, S. (2026). Bibliographies as scholarly infrastructure: Evaluating the impact of a Canadian Inuit bibliography [Manuscript submitted for publication].
Abstract
This study examines how the scholarly impact of specialized bibliographies can be measured over time. Using A Bibliography of Canadian Inuit Periodicals as a case study, it applies Maleki's (2021) framework of fourteen impact metrics to assess the influence of a bibliography documenting periodicals by, for, and about Inuit communities in Canada. Evidence was found for nine impact indicators, including citation, discoverability, and online engagement measures. The findings demonstrate sustained scholarly use and highlight the value of both print and web-based bibliographic resources. In an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and automated information retrieval, the study argues that curated bibliographies remain important forms of scholarly infrastructure for preserving and providing access to marginalized knowledge systems. This research contributes to discussions of knowledge organization, Indigenous information resources, and the assessment of scholarly impact in library and information science.
