Visualizing reference databases

This paper describes a graphical method for visualizing reference database searches. The motivation for inventing this technique comes from analyzing the Current Index of Statistics reference database. This database contains 128 thousand references to articles from statistical journals, conference proceedings, and books, published during the last 20 years. The paper traces the evolution of the bootstrap technique, a statistical research breakthrough, in the statistical literature, shows yearly trends, discovers which journal publish articles on bootstrapping, and identifies books on this subject.