KJCKorea
Journal Central

This study analyzes how the expansion of citation relationships impacts the stability of main path analysis results in citation networks, focusing on Korean research literature about public libraries published in KCI-indexed journals from 2008 to 2023. By including both cited and citing documents in the dataset, the research quantitatively and qualitatively examines main path stability under forward, backward, and bi-directional citation expansion, utilizing the key-route search algorithm. The results show that the main path is relatively stable when only forward or backward expansion is applied (overlap ratio: 0.70-0.86), but significant changes occur when both expansion methods are used simultaneously (overlap ratio: 0.38-0.39), with more than half of the main path components replaced. The initial phase of the main path (2010-2015) remains consistent across all expansion conditions, whereas the latter period (2016-2023) introduces new topics—such as the metaverse and library services for people with disabilities—when forward and backward expansion are both applied. These findings offer empirical evidence about the effect of citation expansion on main path analysis, demonstrating that broader citation expansion improves the reliability of tracking recent research trajectories and strengthens methodological rigor in citation network studies.

This study aimed to propose strategies for enhancing the services of cooperative repositories at metropolitan representative libraries, with a focus on the Busan Library. To this end, a survey was conducted among users and librarians of the cooperative repository to examine their perceptions of and needs regarding its services. Based on the results, this study proposes five strategies for service improvement: (1) improvement of reading and circulation services, (2) identification of new services, (3) development and provision of digital collections, (4) establishment of a dedicated organization and reinforcement of staffing, and (5) formulation of cooperative repository policies at the metropolitan library level. This study is expected to serve as a fundamental resource for developing strategies to enhance the use and services of cooperative repositories.

The healthcare field actively utilizes open access as a means of scholarly communication to realize the social value of research. However, research on the scholarly communication patterns of early-career researchers who are increasingly recognized as a group poised to lead changes in the academic ecosystem remains extremely limited, particularly in South Korea. Therefore, this study empirically analyzed the perceptions and experiences of publishing in open access journals among early-career researchers in South Korea’s healthcare field. An online survey was conducted from July 21 to August 26, 2025, securing a total of 259 valid responses, which were quantitatively analyzed. A total of 82.2% of respondents had experience submitting to open access journals, and they perceived open access publishing as helpful for disseminating research outcomes and increasing citations. Conversely, they felt burdened by publication costs and rated the journals as having low credibility. Professors had high expectations for fast review and publication, while health sciences researchers perceived greater social impact. Overall, early-career researchers were satisfied with their open access publishing experience and expressed positive intentions to publish again. This is the first study in South Korea to systematically analyze the perceptions and practices of early-career researchers in the health sciences and medicine regarding open access publishing and provides baseline data for future scholarly communication research.