A Study on the book reviews published in review periodicals

문헌비평을 위한 서평의 분석적 고찰 -서평문화와 출판저널을 중심으로-

This study is concerned with analysis of all the reviews published by the reviewing periodicals, The Book Review Culture and The Korean Publishing Journal, from 1991 to 1993. The result of analysis for 736 reviews are followed： 1) The percentage of reviews in the field of philosophy & religion, literature ＆ language, science ＆ technology is lower than the percent-age of books published. But in the field of history and social science the reviewing is proportionately higher than the publishing. 2) Book reviews are prepared by professors, literary reviewers, researchers, and experts in the particular subject field except librarian. 3) Basic elements of reviewing are the career and view point of author, trends of suject field, content, value, omissions, limitations, and format of book, reader's level, etc. Ideal method of book criticism may be summarized as follows： 1) The criterion of book selection are the book's value, the social . demand, and the proportion of titles published. 2) For the unbiased criticism, it should be written by the experienced librarian rather than the experts of particular subject field. 3) Book criticism need to provide not only guide to new books but also interpretation and evaluation about each book for its reader.