Spatial analysis: a bibliometric approach (1950-2019)

摘要

Since the 1990s, the increase in the number of publications about spatial analysis has been exceptional, and spatial analysis has been incorporated into numerous research areas. However, the magnitude of this expansion can cause information overload for researchers since it hinders the selection of the most relevant texts and authors. To assess this scenario, a bibliometric analysis was performed of articles about spatial analysis from between 1950 and 2019. The results showed that in this 70-year period, the annual growth rate was 11.5%. Between 1990 and 2019, the number of publications grew 128 times (17.55%). The citations revealed that ecology was the most representative journal and subject category. Bibliographic coupling reinforced the leading place of researchers from ecology, and cocitation supposed those from geography. The bibliometric measures also highlighted various interdisciplinary categories: environmental sciences, public environmental and occupational health, and multidisciplinary geosciences were the most productive disciplines. The historical context of the evolution of spatial analysis and its integration with geographic information systems indicates that technological development has contributed to disseminating its use, expanding its respective scales of analysis, and connecting distinct areas of research.