Exploring global trends in scientific research on Rubus glaucus Benth.: A comprehensive analysis integrating bibliometrics, LDA, and HJ-Biplot
Edy Abril-Espin, Karime Montes-Escobar, Javier de la Hoz-M, Felipe R. Garcés-Fiallos, Carlos A. Salas-MaciasBackground
Rubus glaucus Benth, called Andean blackberry, is a species of significant economic and ecological importance. Despite its relevance, scientific research on this plant remains fragmented and scattered across disciplines.
Objective
This study aims to systematically assess the state of scientific knowledge on R. glaucus, identifying research trends, collaborations, and thematic evolutions within the global research community.
Methods
We employed a comprehensive bibliometric analysis integrated with Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and HJ-Biplot methodologies to analyze publications from Scopus and Web of Science databases.
Results
Our findings reveal a substantial increase in research interest from the 1990s, reaching a peak in the early 2010s before a recent decline. The study highlights significant contributions from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, and Colombia, with notable international collaborations. Thematic analysis underscored the ecological role, nutritional benefits, and genetic improvement of R. glaucus as focal areas of research, pointing out gaps in pest management and sustainable cultivation practices.
Conclusions
This comprehensive bibliometric analysis offers valuable insights into the research landscape of R. glaucus, underscoring the need for focused research efforts on underexplored areas. The study lays the groundwork for future research directions, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration to leverage the plant's full potential for agricultural innovation.