Abstract: This paper takes the open data of Fudan University’s Collection of the Republic of China
period as a statistical sample, adopts the Python language and related data analysis tools, and analyzes the
distribution rule of the literature of Republic of China period in terms of five attributes, i.e., literature type,
publication year, author, journal and publishing house. The study finds that the publication of the literature
of the Republic of China has typical time series characteristics. This paper divides it into six stages. It
recommends that the compilation and research of the literature of the Republic of China period should
adopt a specific literature collation strategy for the social background of these six stages. The distribution
of literature in the dimensions of authors, journals, and publishers is consistent, of different degrees though,
with Lotka’s law, and demonstrates the consistency with the 80/20 rule, namely, 20% of authors, journals,
and publishers have completed 80% of the literature or publishing. The paper also suggests that the collation
of and research on the literature of the Republic of China period should first focus on the prolific writers,
journals and publishers, to improve the efficiency of research.

Key words: Lotka’s law, Literatures of the Republic of China period, Bibliometrics, 80/20 rule, Long Tail distribution