Abstract
Researchers and educators interested in bibliometric analysis increasingly are discovering the advantages of on-line bibliographic data bases, which are easy and inexpensive to use. Using Dissertation Abstracts International and Books in Print data bases, the study reported in this article tracked the growth of dissertation and book production in social work from 1959 to 1988. Potential applications of on-line bibliometric analysis are discussed, including its use in the evaluation of scholarly productivity, the study of the history of social work, and the management of knowledge development processes within the profession.