Assessing the Citation of News Articles in Theses: Patterns from the Central University of Tamil Nadu and the proposal of journalist citation score (JCS)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63880/jlii.v2i1.36

Keywords:

Online news citations, Doctoral Theses, Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN), Journalist Citation Score (JCS), citation metrics, Citation Analysis

Abstract

Purpose: This study examines the use of online news sources as citations in doctoral theses and investigates the accessibility of the cited web links over time. It also introduces the Journalist Citation Score (JCS) to recognise journalists whose work is frequently cited in academic research.

Methodology: The study analysed 172 doctoral theses submitted to the Central University of Tamil Nadu across 22 departments, covering the period from 2018 to April 2025. Online news citations were identified manually through a detailed examination of the theses. The study examined citation frequency, link accessibility, departmental patterns, and the journalists and news agencies most frequently cited.

Findings: The detailed analysis covered 93 theses from 11 departments and identified 225 online news references. Of these, 207 links (92%) were accessible, while 18 (8%) were inaccessible. The Media and Communication department recorded the highest number of accessible links, with 116, followed by Social Work with 31. The proposed JCS identified Yasir, S., Safi, M., and Bhardwaj, A. among the highly cited journalists. BBC News, PTI, and The Times of India were the most frequently cited news agencies. The findings indicate that online news sources are increasingly used in scholarly research, particularly in the social sciences and humanities.

 Implications: The study highlights the need to address link rot and strengthen the preservation of online news content used in academic research. The proposed JCS provides a systematic approach to recognising journalists’ contributions to scholarly communication. The findings may help researchers and librarians better understand the use of online news sources and encourage more sustainable practices for preserving web-based scholarly references.

Author Biographies

Sayed Mohamed Jelani A, Central University of Tamil Nadu, India

Research Scholar (Dept of Library and Information Science)

Prof. S Thanuskodi, Central University of Tamil Nadu, India

Professor & Head (Dept of Library and Information Science)

 

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Published

30-06-2026

How to Cite

Jelani A, S. M. ., & Thanuskodi, S. (2026). Assessing the Citation of News Articles in Theses: Patterns from the Central University of Tamil Nadu and the proposal of journalist citation score (JCS) . Journal of Library Insights &Amp; Innovations, 2(1), 162–173. https://doi.org/10.63880/jlii.v2i1.36

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026): June 2026

Section

ARTICLES

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