A Bibliometric Analysis of Strategic Direction: Publication Trends, Impact and Evolvement from a Thematic Perspective (2002-2024)

Abstract

Purpose: This analysis examines a 22-year bibliographic dataset of 3,551 entries extracted from a single journal's Scopus records, spanning 2002 through 2024, to quantify productivity, collaboration patterns, and citation impact within a narrow disciplinary context.

Design/methodology/approach: Employing a bibliometric framework via Biblioshiny, the study employs descriptive statistics to chart annual growth trajectories, author contributions, citation indicators, document typology, and keyword co-occurrence patterns, thereby elucidating structural and scholarly impact trends.

Findings: Total publication output increased at an annual compound rate of 1.81%, yet mean citations per document remain low at 0.75, notwithstanding an average document seniority of 11.8 years. Sole authorship prevails at over 97%, and international co-authorship accounts for less than 1%, signifying weak collaborative networks. Review contributions (1,894) marginally surpass those of original research articles (1,551), and a corpus of 5,226 author-supplied keywords signals thematic diversification.

Originality/value: The exclusive focus on a single journal reveals a constrained editorial mandate, limited visibility, and restricted citation migration beyond the venue, thereby highlighting the need for multi-journal comparative frameworks to situate bibliometric trajectories within broader scholarly ecosystems.

Conclusion and implications: The deficient citation and collaboration metrics suggest obstacles to disciplinary outreach and global scholarly integration. Editorial strategies, including the promotion of themed issues, proactive international engagement, and enhanced index coverage, are recommended to expand thematic breadth and visibility. Furthermore, comparative analyses across multiple publication forums are needed to provide more robust performance benchmarks.