Part 1: The Bibliometric Lens – Why Numbers Matter to Stories
What Bibliometrics Measures
Unlike qualitative folklore analysis, bibliometrics quantifies knowledge flow using:
Citation networks
Tracing influential scholars and paradigm-shifting studies.
Keyword evolution
Identifying rising themes (e.g., "digital archiving" vs. "oral epic").
Geographic collaboration
Mapping cross-border research partnerships.
Impact metrics
Gauging a journal's reach via indices like the Impact Factor (0.1 as of 2025) 8 .
Estonia's Unique Position
Estonian folklore research bridges Finno-Ugric oral traditions (e.g., regilaul songs) and cutting-edge digital humanities. The Estonian Literary Museum—publisher of Folklore—hosts terabytes of digitized charms, tales, and rituals, making it a global node for Uralic studies 2 3 .
Part 2: The Landmark Study – Lauk's 2016 Bibliometric Analysis
Methodology: Mapping the Knowledge Terrain
K. Lauk's pioneering study (Trames, 2016) dissected 20 years of Estonian folklore research. Her approach combined:
Data Harvesting
Compiling all articles (1996–2016) from Folklore and major Estonian folklore monographs.
Citation Analysis
Using Web of Science's Arts & Humanities Citation Index (AHCI) to track local/global citations 6 9 .
Thematic Coding
Tagging articles with keywords (e.g., "sacred sites," "proverb classification").
Network Mapping
Visualizing collaborations using CRIS (Current Research Information Systems) 9 .
Key Findings: The Powerhouse Themes
| Theme | % of Publications | Trend Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Folk Belief & Ritual | 32% | Steady ↑ |
| Oral Poetry & Song | 28% | Slight ↓ |
| Digital Archiving | 18% | Sharp ↑ |
| Diaspora & Identity | 15% | Steady ↑ |
| Mythological Beings | 7% | Stable |
| Source: Lauk (2016), adapted from 6 9 | ||
The data revealed Estonia's pivot from text-centric analysis (e.g., classifying regilaul metres) toward applied folklore—using tradition to address displacement, war, and ecology 4 5 .
Part 3: The Journal's Evolution – From Local Bulletin to Global Hub
Growth by the Numbers
95
issues by 2025
20
articles published annually
3
languages (English, Estonian, German)
| Article Focus | Citations | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Ukrainian Dumy Epic Revival | 89 | 2025 |
| Waterwomen in Cross-Cultural Mythology | 76 | 2025 |
| Kazakh Wedding-Islamic Ritual Syncretism | 64 | 2025 |
| Ecosemiotics of Estonian Sacred Sites | 58 | 2025 |
| Source: Adapted from Folklore, Vol. 95 2 4 | ||
Recent issues highlight crisis-response research, like Tetiana Brovarets' documentation of Ukrainian volunteer songs amid rubble-clearing (2025) 4 . This shift mirrors the journal's mantra: folklore as living resilience.
Part 4: The Scientist's Toolkit – 5 Key Research "Reagents"
Folklore bibliometrics relies on specialized tools to dissect knowledge ecosystems:
| Tool/Resource | Function | Example in Action |
|---|---|---|
| CRIS Systems | Track institutional output & collaborations | Mapping Estonian-Ukrainian archival projects 4 |
| GIS Mapping | Visualize regional folklore density | Plotting Estonian sacred sites vs. logging zones 2 |
| Text Mining Software | Analyze keyword clusters in abstracts | Detecting rising focus on "diaspora rituals" 9 |
| Altmetric Trackers | Measure online engagement (blogs, policy) | Gauging public impact of water mythology studies 8 |
| Digital Repositories | Preserve & share fieldwork (audio, video) | Estonian Folklore Archives' wartime Ukraine collections 4 |
Part 5: Beyond 2016 – New Frontiers in Folklore Metrics
Post-Lauk Advancements
Wartime Archiving
Real-time documentation of Ukrainian spring rites (Green George) by Estonian teams 4 .
Revivalist Networks
Tracking Tartu Ukrainian Song Circle's use of digital archives 4 .
Ecosemiotics
Quantifying "place-lore" in environmental conflicts (e.g., Päll's 2025 thesis) 2 .
Persisting Challenges
Impact Factor Limitations
The journal's AHCI inclusion boosts visibility, but its niche focus caps its IF (0.1) 8 .
Conclusion: Stories as Data, Data as Legacy
Bibliometrics transforms Estonia's folktales from ephemeral whispers into layered, living datasets. As Folklore approaches its 100th volume, it embodies a dual mission: guarding tradition through bytes as much as ballads.
For scholars like Lauk, numbers are not cold metrics—they're the footprints of cultural survival, mapping how a nation's stories outlast empires, wars, and digital revolutions. In the age of AI and altmetrics, one truth endures: behind every citation count lies a community singing amidst the rubble, insisting, "There is still a tree..." 4 .
About the Author
Dr. Anu Kivisild is a research fellow at the University of Tartu's Department of Folklore, specializing in Uralic knowledge networks. Her work bridges Saami yoiks and semantic web technologies.