Structuring the Conversations: Using Co‑Citation Networks to Trace 60 Years of The Journal of College Student Development

The 60th anniversary of The Journal of College Student Development presents an opportunity to examine the changing landscape of a subsection of the scholarly discourse in student affairs as reflected in the articles published in JCSD. I traced highly cited authors and conversations through network-based citation analysis from 1959 through 2017 by decade. Longitudinal co-citation networks show the formation of one major scholarly conversation with various facets developing over the past two decades, in contrast to earlier more disconnected strands of study. Network changes show how the journal has shifted from roots in counseling, through discussions of college student success and student development, incorporation of qualitative methodologies, and a more recent shift to connect work on students with marginalized identities.