A new explanation of the negative binomial law and the Poisson law with regard to library journal circulation data

Citation
T. Lafouge et E. Guinet, A new explanation of the negative binomial law and the Poisson law with regard to library journal circulation data, J INF SCI, 25(1), 1999, pp. 89-93
Citations number
10
Categorie Soggetti
Library & Information Science
Journal title
JOURNAL OF INFORMATION SCIENCE
ISSN journal
01655515 → ACNP
Volume
25
Issue
1
Year of publication
1999
Pages
89 - 93
Database
ISI
SICI code
0165-5515(1999)25:1<89:ANEOTN>2.0.ZU;2-9
Abstract
This paper presents a mathematical model using probability in order to expl ain the case of library circulation data. In particular, we model the distr ibution of use of the articles according to their distribution in scientifi c journals. We have already undertaken similar work with a geometrical law [6]. The 'no use' of articles is an important aspect of the question of dat a now. When the weight of 'no use' became important, we obtained a result w hich appears quite surprising: the distribution of used articles is a geome trical distribution too. What follows is an investigation of whether the mo del of Poisson and negative binomial distributions are valid.