Page 236 - Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.47, 2021

235
Extended English abstracts of articles published in the Chinese edition of Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.47, 2021 235

its application for very small sample n≤6 becomes the method of model-sample. With using the
effective methods, it is possible and feasible to extend the backbone knowledge of library and
information science, for promoting the creation and innovation of core knowledge in library and
information science.

Domestic exploration of national security intelligence theory (1999-2019):
intelligence studies dominated by functional paradigm

XIE Xiaozhuan & ZHOU Xiaoying 〇a*

This article contributes to the future development of the discipline by reviewing the research
progress, characteristics and trends of national security intelligence theory in China. From 1949 to
1999, the theoretical process of National Security Intelligence Studies (NSIS) in China was slow,
and the historical paradigm had dominated intelligence studies for half a century. Based on the
“paradigm theory” and “structure function theory”, this paper depicts the academic map of NSIS
by summarizing its research focus, major achievements, characteristics and major issues through
the content analysis of the intelligence literature published from 1999 to 2019.
It finds out that, in the past 20 years, NSIS in China flourished and has roughly presented a
pattern of “three pillars” including domestic exploration, foreign research and foreign introduction.
Its contents can be classified into “theory, history, business, management, environment, regulation,
culture, education and technology”, and breakthroughs have been made in the following three
areas:1) The discipline takes shape from the fragmented “intelligence theory” to the systematic
“intelligence studies”. 2) The research focus has shifted from the “intelligence collecting”to
“intelligence analysis”. 3) The emerging branches of NSIS including public security intelligence,
emergency intelligence, national defense scientific and technical intelligence, financial intelligence,
open source intelligence and other branches develop vigorously. 4) The theory of intelligence
history composed of the contents of the history of “ideas, technology, activities, institutions,
biography of figures” is becoming mature.
NSIS in China has the following outstanding characteristics: 1) The research path presents the
general feature of “eastward transmission of western sciences”. 2) Compared with the western
NSIS, the research based on China’s local experience is relatively few, especially lack of
explanatory research, normative research, critical research, political and cultural research. 3) The
research paradigm of NSIS is mainly manifested in two paradigms: historical one and functional
one, and has formed “historical school” and “functional school”. 4) In terms of discipline system,
the discipline system of NSIS has initially formed, consisting of three branches including military,
public security and national security intelligence studies. 5) The research force presents a pattern

* Correspondence should be addressed to ZHOU Xiaoying, Email:xyz-ruc@qq.com, ORCID:0000-0002-9116-1525.