Research in Volcanology: where, when, and by whom? A global bibliometric analysis

The global and transdisciplinary nature of volcanology means that research takes place across institutions in a wide variety of locations around the world. The concentration of volcanic activity within certain regions means that researchers frequently conduct research outside their own borders. Collaboration between international and local researchers has the potential to produce mutual benefit and improve research. For local scientists, international collaboration can provide niche expertise that may not be currently available in the region where the volcano is located, in addition to resources, analyses, or equipment. For international researchers, in addition to different scientific perspectives, collaboration with local scientists can provide vital knowledge of local and regional information, access to field sites, and greater research relevance to the communities and organizations the research is often intended to benefit.

Despite these noted benefits, there is often a lack of inclusivity of local scientists in international research. In this study we use a bibliometric approach to understand who is doing and leading volcanic research, and in which countries the research is taking place. We assessed the metadata of ~24,000 volcanological works from 1901-2021 with 768 volcanoes identified across 68 countries. Our evaluation of affiliations shows that 40% of articles that name a volcano do not include any authors affiliated with the volcano’s country. We also look at case studies of island territories to explore to what extent local scientists are involved in doing research compared to the mainland or foreign countries. We find that only 23% of studies on volcanoes located on island territories have an author affiliated with the territory. Our assessment of bibliometric data provides insights and support for ongoing conversations on the inclusiveness of international research, both spatially and temporally, and can be used to identify geographical areas for improvement, as well as trends in inclusion and leadership.