Reference Services Review: content analysis, 2006-2011

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present a retrospective analysis of the content published in Reference Services Review from 2006 through 2011.Design methodology approach - The author manually reviewed the content of all journal issues from 2006 through 2011 using the Emerald web site. The information reviewed was number of articles per issue; author affiliations; article format; and article titles, abstracts, and keywords. The type, size, and location of author institutions were confirmed using institutions' official web sites as necessary.Findings - The paper finds that Reference Services Review has published an average of 40 articles per year. The majority of articles focus on topics in information literacy and reference services, with consistent coverage of emerging technologies, working with diverse populations, library space, and management. The majority of contributors are affiliated with large academic institutions in the USA, with some representation from liberal arts colleges, public libraries, community colleges, and international authors.Originality value - This analysis consolidates data on the volume, focus, and authorship of Reference Services Review as the journal reaches its 41st year of publication. The data provide a snapshot of trends in the field's professional and scholarly literature with implications for trends in academic librarianship.