Single-Author Focused, Regular Publications in Germany: A Statistical Introduction

Abstract

This study focuses on regular publications with a single-author focus within the German cultural sphere and centered in Germany. The research is based on scanning the aforementioned regular publications in the German National Library (DNB) and subsequently collecting data on them. While initially aiming to examine journals as platforms and thinkers and literary figures as authors, the need to categorize platforms as journals, yearbooks, and book series became apparent during the research process, with musicians also being included among authors. The research proceeded to reveal the basic characteristics of the publications in question within the framework of a bibliometric analysis. In this context, the most striking aspect is that authors’ associations publish a significant portion of author-focused studies in Germany. Yearbooks also occupy a central position here. Although these publications began to appear as early as 1865, the 1990s marked the period when this type of publication became most active. Starting in the 2000s, however, serious transformations began to be seen in author-focused studies. Although yearbooks retained their importance, book series prepared by publishing houses became more visible. By analyzing the data provided in the compiled list, this study aims to suggest some research directions for future studies.