Bibliometric insights into the South African Journal of Animal Science: Trends and contributions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/sajas.v55i6.01Keywords:
authors, co-occurrence, documents, Scopus, VOSviewer®Abstract
Articles (1558 in total) published in the South African Journal of Animal Science (SAJAS) were identified in the Scopus, Scielo, and InCites (Web of Science) databases. The Scimago Journal Rank (SJR) indicator for SAJAS in 2022 was 0.33, with a journal H-index of 37. The journal is in the Q3 quartile, reaching Q2 in 2014 and 2017, and has the 2nd highest SJR in African Animal Science and Zoology journals. The InCites average Category Normalised Citation Index is 0.43, with 77% of articles being cited, but varies between research fields, with a score of 0.32 for Agriculture, Environment, and Ecology (85% of published papers), 0.23 for Clinical and Life Sciences (14% of published papers), and 0.44 for Social Sciences. There is a mean of 43 references per article, with each article receiving, on average, 1.1 citations. Most papers are on poultry and ruminants, with fewer papers on wild animals and less prominent farm species. The major breeds studied include Merino sheep and Holstein cattle, with fewer papers on South African breeds. This analysis is important for the journal and its readership as a self-evaluation of the scope and impact of the journal and how this is changing, as well as aiding editors in shaping the journal’s future direction. Citations have decreased over the last 20 years, and international collaborations are few; however, bias in this analysis should be noted, as recent papers and papers not indexed in Scopus have lower numbers of citations. The journal must reaffirm itself as a leading journal for tropical animal production.
Submitted 13 May 2025; Accepted 23 May 2025; Published 16 June 2025
References
Ahard, F., Beuchle, R., Mayaux, P., Stibig, H.J., Bodart, C., Brink, A., Carboni, S., Desclée, B., Donnay, F., Eva, H.D., & Lupi, A., 2014. Determination of tropical deforestation rates and related carbon losses from 1990 to 2010. Global Change Biology, 20:2540-2554. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12605
Belter, C.W., 2016. Citation analysis as a literature search method for systematic reviews. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 67:2766-2777. DOI: 10.1002/asi.23605
Cancino, C., Merigó, J.M., Coronado, F., Dessouky, Y, & Dessouky, M., 2017. Forty years of Computers & Industrial Engineering: A bibliometric analysis. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 113:614-629. DOI: 10.1016/j.cie.2017.08.03
Ding, X. & Yang, Z., 2020. Knowledge mapping of platform research: a visual analysis using VOSViewer and CiteSpace, Electronic Commerce Research. 22:787-809. DOI: 10.1007/s10660-020-09410-7.
Gaviria-Marin, M., Merigo, J.M., & Popa, S., 2018. Twenty years of the Journal of Knowledge Management: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Knowledge Management. 22:1655-1687. DOI 10.1108/JKM-10-2017-0497
Grosskopf, J.F.W., 1974. Synchronization of ovulation in beef herds: improved conception rate after and interrupted course of progesterone administration. South African Journal of Animal Science, 4:61-65.
Guleria, D. & Kaur, G., 2021. Bibliometric analysis of ecopreneurship using VOSviewer and RStudio Bibliometrix, 1989-2019. Library Hi Tech, 39:1001-1024. DOI: 10.1108/LHT-09-2020-0218
Köseoglu, M.A., Sehitoglu, Y., & Craft, J., 2015. Academic foundations of hospitality management research with an emerging country focus: A citation and co-citation analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 45:130-144. DOI:10.1016/j.ijhm.2014.12.004
Lehmann, E.L. & Schaffer, J.P., 1977. On a fundamental theorem in multiple comparisons. Journal of the American Statistical Association. 72:576-578. DOI: 10.2307/2286219
Li, X., Wu, P., Shen, G.Q., Wang, X., & Teng, Y., 2017. Mapping the knowledge domains of building information modeling (BIM): a bibliometric approach, Automation in Construction, 84:195-206. DOI:10.1016/j.autcon.2017.09.011
Lobell, D.B., Burke, M.B., Tebaldi, C., Mastrandrea, M.D., Falcon, W.P., & Naylor, R.L., 2008. Prioritizing climate change adaptation needs for food security in 2030. Science, 319:607-610. DOI: 10.1126/science.1152339
Lowry, S.R., 1992. Use and misuse of multiple comparisons in animal experiments. Journal of Animal Science, 70:1971-1977. DOI: 10.2527/1992.7061971x
Martínez-López, F.J., Merigó, J.M., Gázquez-Abad, J.C., & Ruiz-Real, J.L., 2020. Industrial Marketing Management: Bibliometric overview since its foundation. Industrial Marketing Management, 84:19-38. DOI: 10.1016/j.indmarman.2019.07.014
Mas-Tur, A., Roig-Tierno, N., Sarin, S., Haon, C., Sego, T., Belkhouja, M., Porter, A., & Merigó, J.M., 2021. Co-citation, bibliographic coupling and leading authors, institutions and countries in the 50 years of Technological Forecasting and Social Change. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 165:120487. DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120487
McManus, C. & Baeta Neves, A.A., 2021. Funding research in Brazil. Scientometrics, 126:801-823. DOI: 10.1007/s11192-020-03762-5
McManus, C., Baeta Neves, A.A., Diniz-Filho, J.A., Pimentel, F., & Pimentel, D., 2023b. Funding as a determinant of citation impact in scientific papers in different countries. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, 95:e20220515 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202320220515
McManus, C., Paludo, G.R., Louvandini, H., Gugel, R., Sasaki, L.C.B., & Paiva, S.R., 2009. Heat tolerance in Brazilian sheep: physiological and blood parameters. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 41:95-101. DOI: 10.1007/s11250-008-9162-1
McManus, C., Pimentel, F., de Almeida, A.M., & Pimentel, D., 2023b. Tropical Animal Health and Production: a 55-year bibliographic analysis setting the course for a globalized international reference journal. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 55:160. DOI: 10.1007/s11250-023-03577-5
McManus, C., Pimentel, F., Pimentel, D., Sejian, V., & Blackburn, H., 2023a. Bibliographic mapping of heat tolerance in farm animals. Livestock Science, 269:105163. DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2023.105163
Merigó, J.M., Blanco-Mesa, F., Gil-Lafuente, A.M., & Yager, R.R., 2017. Thirty years of the International Journal of Intelligent Systems: a bibliometric review. International Journal of Intelligent Systems, 32:526-554. DOI: 10.1002/int.21859
Mkhongi, F.A. & Musakwa, W., 2022. Trajectories of deagrarianization in South Africa-Past, current and emerging trends: A bibliometric analysis and systematic review. Geography and Sustainability 3: 325-333. DOI: 10.1016/j.geosus.2022.10.003
Moral-Muñoz, J.A., Herrera-Viedma, E., Santisteban-Espejo, A., & Cobo, M.J., 2020. Software tools for conducting bibliometric analysis in science: An up-to-date review. Profesional De La información, 29:e290103 DOI: 10.3145/epi.2020.ene.03
Perianes-Rodriguez, A., Waltman, L., & Van Eck, N.J., 2016. Constructing bibliometric networks: A comparison between full and fractional counting. Journal of Informetrics, 10:1178-1195. DOI: 10.1016/j.joi.2016.10.006
Pimentel, F., Paiva, S., Dias, L.T., Pimentel, D., & McManus, C., 2023. Donkeys in Brazil: Bibliometric mapping and breed information: Bibliographic mapping for Brazilian donkeys. International Journal of Equine Science, 2:34-46.
Radhakrishnan, S., Erbis, S., Isaacs, J.A., & Kamarthi, S., 2017. Novel keyword co-occurrence network-based methods to foster systematic reviews of scientific literature. PloS One, 12:e0172778. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172778
Raneng, J., Howes, M., & Pickering, C.M., 2022. Current and future directions in research on community gardens. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 79:127814 DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2022.127814
Saatchi, S.S., Harris, N.L., Brown, S., Lefsky, M., Mitchard, E.T., Salas, W., Zutta, B.R., Buermann, W., Lewis, S.L., Hagen, S., & Petrova, S., 2011. Benchmark map of forest carbon stocks in tropical regions across three continents. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108:9899-9904. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.101957610
Sarol, J., Liu, L., & Schneider, J. 2018. Testing a citation and text-based framework for retrieving publications for literature reviews. Proceedings of the 7th International Workshop on Bibliometric-enhanced Information Retrieval (BIR 2018), 22-33. Grenoble, France. https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2080/paper3.pdf.
Sejian V., Maurya V.P., & Naqvi S.M.K., 2010. Adaptability and growth of Malpura ewes subjected to thermal and nutritional stress. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 42:1763-1770. DOI: 10.1007/s11250-010-9633-z
Srikandakumar A. & Johnson E.H., 2004. Effect of heat stress on milk production, rectal temperature, respiratory rate and blood chemistry in Holstein, Jersey and Australian milking zebu cows. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 36:685-692. DOI: 10.1023/b:trop.0000042868.76914.a9
Su, H.N. & Lee, P.C., 2010. Mapping knowledge structure by keyword co-occurrence: A first look at journal papers in technology foresight. Scientometrics, 85:65-79. DOI: 10.1007/s11192-010-0259-8
Tahamtan, I., Safipour Afshar, A., & Ahamdzadeh, K., 2016. Factors affecting number of citations: a comprehensive review of the literature. Scientometrics, 107:1195-1225. DOI: 10.1007/s11192-016-1889-2
van Eck, N.J. & Waltman, L., 2010. Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84:523-538. DOI: 10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3.
Van Eck, N.J. & Waltman, L., 2017. Citation-based clustering of publications using CitNetExplorer and VOSviewer. Scientometrics, 111:1053-1070. DOI: 10.1007/s11192-017-2300-7
Van Soest, P.V., Robertson, J.B., & Lewis, B.A., 1991. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science, 74:3583-3597. DOI: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(91)78551-2
Waltman, L. & Van Eck, N.J., 2012. A new methodology for constructing a publication-level classification system of science. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 63: 2378-2392. DOI: 10.1002/asi.22748
Waltman, L. & Van Eck, N.J., 2013. A smart local moving algorithm for large-scale modularity-based community detection. European Physical Journal B, 86:471. DOI: 10.1140/epjb/e2013-40829-0
Wong, A.K.F., Köseoglu, M.A., & Kim, S.S., 2021. The intellectual structure of corporate social responsibility research in tourism and hospitality: A citation/co-citation analysis. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 49:270-284. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.09.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 C McManus, MM Scholtz, V Peripolli, D Pimentel, VS Junqueira, CB Banga, F Pimentel (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
