Abstract
Children’s books involve a large number of topics. Research on them has been paid much attention to by both scholars and practitioners. However, the existing achievements do not focus on China, which is the fastest growing market for children’s books in the world. Studies using quantitative analysis are low in number, especially on the intellectual structure, evolution patterns, and development trends of topics of children’s bestsellers in China. Dangdang.com, the biggest Chinese online bookstore, was chosen as a data source to obtain children’s bestsellers, and topic words in them were extracted from brief introductions. With the aid of co-occurrence theory and tools of social network analysis and visualization, the distribution, correlation structures, and evolution patterns of topics were revealed and visualized. This study shows that topics of Chinese children’s bestsellers are broad and relatively concentrated, but their distribution is unbalanced. There are four distinguished topic communities (Living, Animal, World, and Child) in terms of centrality and maturity, and they all establish their individual systems and tend to be mature. The evolution of these communities tends to be stable with powerful continuity.
Funding source: Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China
Award Identifier / Grant number: 18YJA870004
Research funding: This study is supported by MOE (Ministry of Education in China) Project of Humanities and Social Sciences (18YJA870004).
The books mentioned in this paper are listed below in the order in which they appear.
China Juvenile and Children’s Books Publishing House. I Wonder Why. 1st ed. Shanghai: China Juvenile and Children’s Books Publishing House, 1961.
Zhejiang Education Publishing House. Encyclopedia of Chinese Children and Adolescents. Hangzhou: Zhejiang Education Publishing House, 1991.
Hongying, Yang. Naughty Boy Ma Xiaotiao. Nanning: Jieli Publishing House, 2003.
Kuroyanagi, Tetsuko. The Little Girl at the Window. Haikou: Nanhai publishing house, 2003.
Wenxuan, Cao. Straw House. Beijing: Writers Publishing House, 2003.
Joanna Cole. The Magic School Bus. New York: Scholastic, 2014.
Jolibois, Christian, and Christian Heinrich. Les Petites Poules. Paris: Pocket Jeunesse, 2010.
Ladybird. 2017. Peppa Pig. Utah: Ladybird, 2017.
References
Ahn, R. J., and M. R. Nelson. 2019. “How Caregivers Perceive and Mediate Children’s Books Featuring Media Characters in the United States.” Journal of Children and Media 13 (2): 201–18, https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2019.1576532.10.1080/17482798.2019.1576532Search in Google Scholar
An, X. Y., and Q. Q. Wu. 2011. “Co-word Analysis of the Trends in Stem Cells Field Based on Subject Heading Weighting.” Scientometrics 88 (1): 133–44, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-011-0374-1.10.1007/s11192-011-0374-1Search in Google Scholar
Arruda-Colli, M. N. F., M. S. Weaver, and L. Wiener. 2017. “Communication about Dying, Death, and Bereavement: A Systematic Review of Children’s Literature.” Journal of Palliative Medicine 20 (5): 548–59, https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2016.0494.10.1089/jpm.2016.0494Search in Google Scholar
Bai, B. 2018. “Content, Brand, Technology, Channel: Chinese and Foreign Publishers Discuss the New Trend of Children’s Books.” International Publishing Weekly (in China) 9 (April): 008.Search in Google Scholar
Beditz, M. 2018. “The Dynamic Landscape of Marketing Children’s Books.” Publishing Research Quarterly 34: 157–69, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-018-9584-1.10.1007/s12109-018-9584-1Search in Google Scholar
Blondel, V. D., J. L. Guillaume, R. Lambiotte, and E. Lefebvre. 2008. “Fast Unfolding of Communities in Large Networks.” Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment 8 (10): 10008, http://doi.org/10.1088/1742-5468/2008/10/p10008.10.1088/1742-5468/2008/10/P10008Search in Google Scholar
Blough, G. O. 1973. “Using Science Books with Children.” Science and Children 10: 21–2.Search in Google Scholar
Boerner, K. 2011. “Plug-and-play Macroscopes.” Communications of the ACM 54 (3): 60–9, https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20095.10.1145/1897852.1897871Search in Google Scholar
Braden, E. G., and S. C. Rodriguez. 2016. “Beyond Mirrors and Windows: A Critical Content Analysis of Latinx Children’s Books.” The Journal of Language and Literacy Education 12 (2): 56–83, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1120285.pdf.Search in Google Scholar
Callon, M., J. Courtial, and F. Laville. 1991. “Co-word Analysis as a Tool for Describing the Network of Interactions between Basic and Technological Research: The Case of Polymer Chemistry.” Scientometrics 22 (1): 155–205, https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02019280.10.1007/BF02019280Search in Google Scholar
Chen, L. 2019. Dangdang Sells 1.5 Billion Copies in 2018 (In Chinese Language). https://www.sohu.com/a/287858182_267807 (accessed March 8 2019).Search in Google Scholar
Chen, X. 2011. The Operation of the Best-Selling Books for the Children of the 95’s. Master’s thesis. Hunan, China: Hunan Normal University.Search in Google Scholar
China Children’s Press and Publishing Group (CCPPG). 2018. The Trend Report of China Children’s Book Market Development (In Chinese Language). https://www.douban.com/note/663996211/ (accessed October 17 2018).Search in Google Scholar
China Youth on Line (CYOL). 2017. 56.0% of the Respondents Found it Difficult to Select Books for Children (In Chinese Language). https://zqb.cyol.com/html/2017-10/31/nw.D110000zgqnb_20171031_2-07.htm (accessed September 6 2019).Search in Google Scholar
Ding, J. 2015. A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts. Master’s thesis. Wuhan, China: Huazhong University of Science & Technology.Search in Google Scholar
Doreian, P., P. Lloyd, and A. Mrvar. 2013. “Partitioning Large Signed Two-Mode Networks: Problems and Prospects.” Social Networks 35 (2): 178–203, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socnet.2012.01.002.10.1016/j.socnet.2012.01.002Search in Google Scholar
Ford, D. J. 2006. “Representations of Science within Children’s Trade Books.” Journal of Research in Science Teaching 43 (2): 214–35, https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20095.10.1002/tea.20095Search in Google Scholar
Freeman, L. 1979. “Centrality in Social Networks Conceptual Clarification.” Social Networks 1 (3): 215–39, https://www.bebr.ufl.edu/sites/default/files/Centrality%20in%20Social%20Networks.pdf.10.1016/0378-8733(78)90021-7Search in Google Scholar
Gao, Z. H. 2012. The Influence of “Significant Others” on Students’ Reading Choice. PhD diss. East China Normal University.Search in Google Scholar
Giblin, J. C. 2000. “More than Just the Facts: A Hundred Years of Children’s Nonfiction.” Horn Book Magazine 76: 413–24.Search in Google Scholar
Goldberg, A. E. 2009. “The Nature of Generalization in Language.” Cognitive Linguistics 20 (1): 93–127, https://doi.org/10.1515/cogl.2009.005.10.1515/COGL.2009.005Search in Google Scholar
Han, L. 2016. Research on Publication of Original Children’s Literature Book in New Age. Master’s thesis. Kaifeng, China: Henan University.Search in Google Scholar
Herbozo, S., S. Tantleff-Dunn, J. Gokee-Larose, and J. K. Thompson. 2004. “Beauty and Thinness Messages in Children’s Media: A Content Analysis.” Eating Disorders 12 (1): 21–34, https://doi.org/10.1080/10640260490267742.10.1080/10640260490267742Search in Google Scholar
Hsiao, C. Y. 2010. “Enhancing Children’s Artistic and Creative Thinking and Drawing Performance through Appreciating Picture Books.” International Journal of Art and Design Education 29 (2): 143–52, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-8070.2010.01642.x.10.1111/j.1476-8070.2010.01642.xSearch in Google Scholar
Hu, C., J. Hu, S. Deng, and Y. Liu. 2013. “A Co-word Analysis of Library and Information Science in China.” Scientometrics 97 (2): 369–82, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-013-1076-7.10.1007/s11192-013-1076-7Search in Google Scholar
Hu, J., and Y. Zhang. 2015. “Research Patterns and Trends of Recommendation System in China Using Co-word Analysis.” Information Processing & Management 51 (4): 329–39, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2015.02.002.10.1016/j.ipm.2015.02.002Search in Google Scholar
Hu, J., and Y. Zhang. 2017. “Discovering the Interdisciplinary Nature of Big Data Research through Social Network Analysis and Visualization.” Scientometrics 112 (1): 91–109, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-017-2383-1.10.1007/s11192-017-2383-1Search in Google Scholar
Hu, J., R. Huang, and Y. Wang. 2018. “Geographical Visualization of Research Collaborations of Library Science in China.” The Electronic Library 36 (3): 414–29, https://doi.org/10.1108/el-12-2016-0266.10.1108/EL-12-2016-0266Search in Google Scholar
Huang, X., S. Lee, Y. Hu, H. Y. Gao, and M. O’Connor. 2015. “Talking about Maternal Breast Cancer with Young Children: A Content Analysis of Text in Children’s Books.” Journal of Pediatric Psychology 40 (6): 609–21, https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsu110.10.1093/jpepsy/jsu110Search in Google Scholar
Hunt, P. 2004. International Companion Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature. London: Routledge.10.4324/9780203325667Search in Google Scholar
Huo, D. 2017. “Research on the Topic Selection of Children’s Bestsellers.” Propagation and copyright (in China) 1: 41–6, http://doi.org/10.19619/j.issn.1007-1938.2017.01.009.Search in Google Scholar
Jian, X. 2016. Jingdong Released Market Research Report on Shanghai Children’s Book Fair. https://epaper.gmw.cn/zhdsb/html/2016-11/23/nw.D110000zhdsb_20161123_2-18.htm (accessed October 17 2018).Search in Google Scholar
Jin, F., and X. W. Chang. 2016. “An Analysis of the Present Situation and Strategies of Parent-Child Interaction after 1980s.” Theory Research (in China) 12: 99–100, 110, http://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1002-2589.2016.12.043.Search in Google Scholar
Kim, M. J. 2007. “Rethinking K-6 Scientific Literacy: A Case Study of Using Science Books as Tool to a Fundamental Sense of Scientific Literacy.” Journal of the Korean Association for in Science Education 27 (8): 711–23, https://www.koreascience.or.kr/article/JAKO200717347316123.pdf.Search in Google Scholar
Khasseh, A. A., F. Soheili, H. S. Moghaddam, and A. M. Chelak. 2017. “Intellectual Structure of Knowledge in iMetrics: A Co-word Analysis.” Information Processing and Management 53 (3): 705–20, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2017.02.001.10.1016/j.ipm.2017.02.001Search in Google Scholar
Lee, W. H. 2008. “How to Identify Emerging Research Fields Using Scientometrics: An Example in the Field of Information Security.” Scientometrics 76 (3): 503–25, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-007-1898-2.10.1007/s11192-007-1898-2Search in Google Scholar
Leydesdorff, L., and R. L. Goldstone. 2014. “Interdisciplinarity at the Journal and Specialty Level: The Changing Knowledge Bases of the Journal Cognitive Science.” Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology 65 (1): 164–77, https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.22953.10.1002/asi.22953Search in Google Scholar
Leydesdorff, L., and P. Zhou. 2008. “Co-word Analysis Using the Chinese Character Set.” Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 59 (9): 1528–30, https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.20862.10.1002/asi.20862Search in Google Scholar
Li, H. 2016. Problems and Solutions of Parents’ Choice of Children’s Books. Master’s thesis. Liaoning, China: Liaoning Normal University.Search in Google Scholar
Liu, H. 2015. Research on “Long Pin” of Children’s Bestseller Case Analysis of Yong Hongying’s Trouble Ma Xiaotiao Series. Master’s thesis. Nanjing, China: Nanjing University.Search in Google Scholar
Liu, Y. S., Y. L. Wang, and M. X. Li. 2017. “An Empirical Analysis of the Applicability of the Threshold of High Frequency Words in Word Frequency Analysis.” Digital Library Forum (in China) 9: 42–9, http://doi.org/10.3772/j.issn.1673-2286.2017.09.007.Search in Google Scholar
Marum, E. 1996. Children and Books in the Modern World: Contemporary Perspectives on Literacy. London: Routledge.Search in Google Scholar
Meng, H. W. 2018. “Application and Development of VR Technology in Children’s Book Publishing.” Propagation and copyright (in China) 6: 73–4, 77, http://doi.org/10.16852/j.cnki.45-1390/g2.2018.06.028.Search in Google Scholar
Miao, J. C. 2014. “Opportunities and Challenges for Book Publishing under the Background of Big Data.” Propagation and copyright (in China) 9: 37–8, http://doi.org/10.16852/j.cnki.45-1390/g2.2014.09.022.Search in Google Scholar
Mrvar, A., and V. Batagelj. 2016. “Analysis and Visualization of Large Networks with Program Package Pajek.” Complex Adaptive Systems Modeling 4 (1): 6, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40294-016-0017-8.10.1186/s40294-016-0017-8Search in Google Scholar
Nor, M. R. M., Z. Abidin, and N. B. Nasaruddin. 2018. “Features of Islamic Children’s Books in English: A Case Study of Books Published in Malaysia.” Publishing Research Quarterly 34 (3): 540–53, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-018-9612-1.10.1007/s12109-018-9612-1Search in Google Scholar
Perkins, L. 2014. “How to Sell Your Picture Book.” Writer’s Digest. https://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/how-to-sell-your-picture-book (accessed October 17 2018).Search in Google Scholar
Poling, D. A., and J. M. Hupp. 2008. “Death Sentences: A Content Analysis of Children’s Death Literature.” The Journal of Genetic Psychology 169 (2): 165–76, https://doi.org/10.3200/gntp.169.2.165-176.10.1037/e586132007-001Search in Google Scholar
Ren, J. 2017. “Review on the Empirical Study about the Relationship between Online Books Review and Sales.” Publishing Journal (in China) 25 (1): 88–92, http://doi.org.10.13363/j.publishingjournal.2017.01.019.Search in Google Scholar
Roe, F. G. 1959. Victorian Child. London: Little Hampton Book Service Ltd.Search in Google Scholar
Rosvall, M., and C. T. Bergstrom. 2010. “Mapping Change in Large Networks.” PloS One 5 (1): e8694, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0008694.10.1371/journal.pone.0008694Search in Google Scholar
Shan, D. P., and W. H. Zhang. 2018. “The Regular Analysis of Children’s Best Seller in Our Country-Based on the Data of the Best-Selling Books for Children in the Past Two Years.” View on Publishing (in China) 14: 32–4, http://doi.org/10.16491/j.cnki.cn45-1216/g2.2018.14.008.Search in Google Scholar
Shen, S. L. 2018. “The Optimizing Strategy of AR Technology Applied to Children’s Publishing.” New Media Research (in China) 4 (12): 43–6, http://doi.org/10.16604/j.cnki.issn2096-0360.2018.12.016.Search in Google Scholar
Small, H. 1973. “Co-citation in the Scientific Literature: A New Measure of the Relationship between Two Documents.” Journal of the American Society for Information Science 24 (4): 265–9, https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.4630240406.10.1002/asi.4630240406Search in Google Scholar
Small, H., and B. C. Griffith. 1974. “The Structure of Scientific Literatures I: Identifying and Graphing Specialties.” Science Studies 4 (1): 17–40, https://doi.org/10.1177/030631277400400102.10.1177/030631277400400102Search in Google Scholar
Stegmann, J., and G. Grohmann. 2003. “Hypothesis Generation Guided by Co-word Clustering.” Scientometrics 56 (1): 111–35, https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1021954808804.10.1023/A:1021954808804Search in Google Scholar
Van Eck, N. J., and L. Waltman. 2010. “Software Survey: VOSviewer, a Computer Program for Bibliometric Mapping.” Scientometrics 84 (2): 523–38, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3.10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3Search in Google Scholar
Wang, Q. 2011. On the Problems and Countermeasures of Parents’ Selecting of Children’s Books. Master’s thesis. Georgetown, Texas, US: Southwest University.Search in Google Scholar
Wang, Y. 2016. “Changes of Marketing Channels for Children’s Books in the New Media Environment.” View on Publishing (in China) 15: 66–7. http://doi.org/10.16491/j.cnki.cn45-1216/g2.2016.0526.Search in Google Scholar
Yilmaz Genc, M. M., A. Akinci Cosgun, and S. Pala. 2017. “A Study of Mathematical Content provided in Illustrated Children’s Books.” Eurasian Journal of Educational Research 69: 159–75, https://doi.org/10.14689/ejer.2017.69.9.10.14689/ejer.2017.69.9Search in Google Scholar
Zhang, F. 2018. Commentator Observation: More Local Excellent Children’s Books are Needed (in Chinese Language). https://theory.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0614/c40531-30056228.html (accessed September 6 2019).Search in Google Scholar
Zhang, H. L. 2011. “Review on Early Reading Research of Library Field in China and America.” Library & Information (in China) 2: 2–6, 25, http://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1003-6938.2011.02.003.Search in Google Scholar
Zhang, J. C. 2017. Research on the Restrictive Factors and Solutions of the Localization of Children’s Introduction Books. Master’s thesis. Beijing, China: Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication.Search in Google Scholar
Zhang, K. W. 2017. “Seven Keywords of Chinese Children’s Publishing in the New Era.” China Publishing Journal (in China) 11: 67–73, http://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1002-4166.2017.11.005.10.4324/9781315134376-5Search in Google Scholar
Zhou, D. 2015. The Research in Reading Tendency of Children since 2000: The OpenBook Leaderboard as an Example. Master’s thesis. Hefei, China: Anhui University.Search in Google Scholar
Zhu, Y. H., W. Cheng, and W. H. Zhang. 2015. “Analysis of the Publishing Status of Children’s Bestsellers since the 21st Century.” View on Publishing (in China) 7: 14–8, http://doi.org/10.16491/j.cnki.cn45-1216/g2.2015.0311.Search in Google Scholar
© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Best Student Research Paper Award
- Translational Challenges in Cross-Cultural Digitization Ethics: The Case of Chinese Marriage Documents, 1909–1997
- Articles
- Research on the Factors Influencing the Reading Motivation of Social Media Users from the Perspective of Reading Promotion in China
- Harnessing Indigenous Knowledge through Community Involvement in Public Libraries in South Africa
- Mapping the Topics and Evolutions of Chinese Children’s Bestsellers
- Dimensions of E-Readiness in University Libraries: Identification and Prioritization Using AHP Technique
- We’ve been Offering It for Years, But Why Do They Come? The Reasons Why Adults Bring Young Children to Public Library Storytimes
- Beyond Providing Information: An Analysis on the Perceived Service Quality, Satisfaction, and Loyalty of Public Library Customers
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Best Student Research Paper Award
- Translational Challenges in Cross-Cultural Digitization Ethics: The Case of Chinese Marriage Documents, 1909–1997
- Articles
- Research on the Factors Influencing the Reading Motivation of Social Media Users from the Perspective of Reading Promotion in China
- Harnessing Indigenous Knowledge through Community Involvement in Public Libraries in South Africa
- Mapping the Topics and Evolutions of Chinese Children’s Bestsellers
- Dimensions of E-Readiness in University Libraries: Identification and Prioritization Using AHP Technique
- We’ve been Offering It for Years, But Why Do They Come? The Reasons Why Adults Bring Young Children to Public Library Storytimes
- Beyond Providing Information: An Analysis on the Perceived Service Quality, Satisfaction, and Loyalty of Public Library Customers