Applications of the theory of Bradford’s law to the calculation of Leimkuhler’s law and to the completion of bibliographies

Abstract

In a previous article (L. Egghe, JASIS 37(4); p. 246-255, 1966) we further developed the theory of Bradford’s law by deriving a theoretical formula for the Bradford multiplier and for the number of items, produced by the most productive source in every Bradford group. In this article we apply these results to some classical bibliographies, for which we determine the underlying law of Leimkuhler and also different Bradford groupings. We also extend the above mentioned theory in order to be ap plicable to incomplete bibliographies (s.a. citation tables or bibliographies truncated before the Groos droop). Finally this extension also has an application in determining the size and other properties of the complete unknown bibliography, based on the incomplete one.