Climate Change Research

Climate Change Research

Content Analysis and Evaluation of Iranian Researchers' Scientific Outputs of Climate Change Subject Area: A Scientometric Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Marv.C., Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Information Science and Knowledge Studies, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran
3 Master of Information Management, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran
Abstract
Many studies have been conducted by researchers in the field of climate change. Scientometric studies through the analysis of scientific articles in reputable international databases, identify trends, patterns, and research areas related to scientific topics. The present study aims to conduct a scientometric analysis of Iranian researchers' scientific outputs in the field of climate change using the Web of Science database. This research is a descriptive-analytical and applied study employing a scientometric approaches. The study timeframe includes documents published in the Web of Science database during 2002-2024. Data analysis and scientific mapping were performed using Excel, RStudio, and the Bibliometrix package. The findings indicate a significant annual growth trend in Iranian researchers' scientific outputs of climate change in the Web of Science database, with particularly notable growth in recent years. An examination of journals publishing Iranian researchers' articles reveals that those focusing on climate change research, various dimensions of sustainable development, and water resource management have produced the highest number of scientific outputs in this field. Based on the H-index and G-index indicators, the Journal of Hydrology, with an h-index of 274 and a g-index of 65, ranks first. Also, collaboration between Iranian researchers and other countries in climate change research has been substantial. Tehran University, Islamic Azad University, and Tarbiat Modares University have been identified as the most productive institutional affiliations in the scientific output of Iranian researchers in this field. Key terms associated with climate change identified by Iranian researchers include: Climate-Change, Adaptation, Conservation Disease, Water, Emissions, Design, Model, Energy, Temperature, and Plants. Five thematic clusters were identified: Climate change management, Modeling the impact of climate change on water resources, Rainfall analysis, Optimal resource allocation systems, Biodiversity pattern conservation. This study can be utilized by researchers and policymakers to evaluate future research objectives and assess current trends in climate change studies.
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