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The most-cited metrics-related papers of the twenty-first century

By:
Li Li,  Yu Zhao and  Zhesi Shen  
Open Access
|May 2025

Figures & Tables

Top 10 most-cited bibliometrics-related papers_

Rank (Median)PaperTimes cited (range across databases)
1Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping10526~14500
2An index to quantify an individual’s scientific research output7622~10730
3Bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis4372~6992
4How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines4060~4774
5CiteSpace II: Detecting and visualizing emerging trends and transient patterns in scientific literature2965~4681
6Bibliometric Methods in Management and Organization2850~3841
7Comparison of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar: strengths and weaknesses2422~3236
8The journal coverage of Web of Science and Scopus: a comparative analysis2084~3295
9The increasing dominance of teams in production of knowledge1845~2248
10Searching for intellectual turning points: Progressive knowledge domain visualization1767~2612

The classification systems and selected topics_

DatabaseClassification systemSelected Topics
Web of ScienceCitation Topics-meso level6.238 Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research Integrity
ScopusScivalTC.101 Scientometrics; Biomedical Research; Social Media (medical-related topics excluded)
OpenAlexTopicsScientometrics and Bibliometrics Research

Top 25 most-cited bibliometrics-related papers_ Citation count (ranking) and assigned topics within each database are shown_ The Derek de Solla Price awardees are highlighted in bold_

RankPublicationCitation Count (ranking)Topics
OpenAlexScopusWoSWoSScopusOpenAlex
1Van Eck, N., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523-538.14500(1)12553(1)10526(1)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Bibliometric Analysis; ScientometricsData Visualization and Analytics
2Hirsch, J. E. (2005). An index to quantify an individual’s scientific research output. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102(Ą6), 16569-16572.10730(2)8670(2)7622(2)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Citation Analysis; NumberCognitive Science and Mapping
3Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). Bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of informetrics, 77(4), 959-975.9185(3)7573(3)6077(3)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Bibliometric Analysis; ScientometricsData Analysis with R
4Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of business research, 133, 285-296.6992(4)5708(4)4372(4)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Bibliometric Analysis; ScientometricsScientometrics and Bibliometrics research
5Chen, C. (2006). CiteSpace II: Detecting and visualizing emerging trends and transient patterns in scientific literature. Journal of the American Society for information Science and Technology, 57(3), 359-377.4774(5)4814(5)4060(5)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityCitation Analysis; Bibliology; ScientometricsComplex Network Analysis Techniques
6Zupic, I., & Cater, T. (2015). Bibliometric methods in management and organization. Organizational research methods, 18(3), 429-472.4681(6)3710(6)2965(6)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Bibliometric Analysis; ScientometricsInnovation and Knowledge Management
7Falagas, M. E., Pitsouni, E. I., Malietzis, G. A., & Pappas, G. (2008). Comparison of PubMed, Scopus, web of science, and Google scholar: strengths and weaknesses. The FASEB journal, 22(2), 338-342.3841(7)3313(7)2850(7)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Citation Analysis; NumberScientometrics and Bibliometrics research
8Mongeon, P., & Paul-Hus, A. (2016). The journal coverage of Web of Science and Scopus: a comparative analysis. Scientometrics, 106, 213-228.3236(9)2843(8)2422(8)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Citation Analysis; NumberScientometrics and Bibliometrics research
9Wuchty, S., Jones, B. E, & Uzzi, B. (2007). The increasing dominance of teams in production of knowledge. Science, 316(5321), 1036-1039.3295(8)2343(9)2084(9)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityCoauthorship; Scientific Collaboration; Social Network AnalysisInnovation and Knowledge Management
10Chen, C. (2004). Searching for intellectual turning points: progressive knowledge domain visualization. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101(suppl_1), 5303-5310.2248(13)2078(10)1845(10)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityCitation Analysis; Bibliology; ScientometricsData Visualization and Analytics
11Garfield, E. (2006). The history and meaning of the journal impact factor. Jama, 295(1), 90-93.2612(10)1988(12)1767(11)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Citation Analysis; NumberScientometrics and Bibliometrics research
12Cobo, M. J., López-Herrera, A. G., Herrera-Viedma, E., & Herrera, F. (2011). Science mapping software tools: Review, analysis, and cooperative study among tools. Journal of the American Society for information Science and Technology, 62(7), 1382-1402.2352(11)2006(11)1666(12)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Bibliometric Analysis; Social Network AnalysisScientific Computing and Data Management
13Ellegaard, O., & Wallin, J. A. (2015). The bibliometric analysis of scholarly production: How great is the impact?. Scientometrics, 105, 1809-1831.2277(12)1832(13)1456(15)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Bibliometric Analysis; ScientometricsScientometrics and Bibliometrics research
14Egghe, L. (2006). Theory and practise of the g-index. Scientometrics, 69(1), 131-152.2103(15)1830(14)1593(13)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Citation Analysis; NumberScientometrics and Bibliometrics research
15Cobo, M. J., López-Herrera, A. G., Herrera-Viedma, E., & Herrera, F. (2011). An approach for detecting, quantifying, and visualizing the evolution of a research field: A practical application to the Fuzzy Sets Theory field. Journal of informetrics, 5(1), 146-166.2045(16)1765(15)1505(14)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Bibliometric Analysis; Social Network AnalysisComplex Network Analysis Techniques
17Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2017). Citation-based clustering of publications using CitNetExplorer and VOSviewer. Scientometrics, 111, 1053-1070.1944(17)1606(17)1329(16)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Bibliometric Analysis; ScientometricsComplex Network Analysis Techniques
16Hicks, D., Wouters, P., Waltman, L., Rijcke, S., & Rafols, I. (2015). The Leiden Manifesto for research metrics. Nature, 520(7548), 9-11.2190(14)1614(16)1070(22)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Citation Analysis; NumberScientometrics and Bibliometrics research
18Waltman, L., Van Eck, N. J., & Noyons, E. C. (2010). A unified approach to mapping and clustering of bibliometric networks. Journal of informetrics, 4(4), 629-635.1843(19)1553(18)1290(17)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Bibliometric Analysis; ScientometricsComplex Network Analysis Techniques
19Newman, M. E. (2004). Coauthorship networks and patterns of scientific collaboration. Proceedings of the national academy of sciences, 101(suppl_1), 5200-5205.1853(18)1472(19)1212(18)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityCoauthorship; Scientific Collaboration; Social Network AnalysisComplex Network Analysis Techniques
20Chen, C., Ibekwe-SanJuan, F, & Hou, J. (2010). The structure and dynamics of cocitation clusters: A multiple-perspective cocitation analysis. Journal of the American Society for information Science and Technology, 61(7), 1386-1409.1545(23)1410(20)1177(20)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityCitation Analysis; Bibliology; ScientometricsAdvanced Text Analysis Techniques
21Chen, C. (2017). Science mapping: a systematic review of the literature. Journal of data and information science, 2(2).1533(24)1397(21)1202(19)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityCitation Analysis; Bibliology; ScientometricsData Visualization and Analytics
22Börner, K., Chen, C., & Boyack, K. W. (2003). Visualizing knowledge domains. Annual review of information science and technology, 37(1), 179-255.1672(21)1327(22)1070(22)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityCitation Analysis; Bibliology; ScientometricsData Visualization and Analytics
23Otte, E., & Rousseau, R. (2002). Social network analysis: a powerful strategy, also for the information sciences. Journal of information Science, 28(6), 441-453.1530(25)1293(23)1074(21)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityCoauthorship; Scientific Collaboration; Social Network AnalysisComplex Network Analysis Techniques
24Lee, S., & Bozeman, B. (2005). The impact of research collaboration on scientific productivity. Social studies of science, 35(5), 673-702.1552(22)1222(27)1069(24)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityCoauthorship; Scientific Collaboration; Social Network AnalysisScientometrics and Bibliometrics research
25Martín-Martín, A., Orduna-Malea, E., Thelwall, M., &López-Cózar, E. D. (2018). Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus: A systematic comparison of citations in 252 subject categories. Journal of informetrics, 12(4), 1160-1177.1407(29)1240(25)1067(25)Bibliometrics, Scientometrics & Research IntegrityBibliology; Citation Analysis; NumberScientometrics and Bibliometrics research
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2025-0032 | Journal eISSN: 2543-683X | Journal ISSN: 2096-157X
Language: English
Page range: 1 - 6
Accepted on: May 9, 2025
Published on: May 20, 2025
Published by: Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Science Library
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2025 Li Li, Yu Zhao, Zhesi Shen, published by Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Science Library
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.