Research on stored products: A bibliometric analysis of the leading journal of the field for the years 1965–2020

Abstract

We carried out a bibliometric analysis on papers that have been published in the Journal of Stored Products Research (JSPR) since its initiation in 1965 and until 2020, using the software Vosviewer. The analysis clearly indicated that the majority of the papers in the JSPR are focused on stored product entomology, particularly the beetle pests of stored products. The most commonly recorded species were Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae) and the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). In recent years, the proportion of papers that focused on chemical control have decreased, especially in regards to active ingredients that are no longer used on bulk grains or in milling and processing facilities, including contact toxicants and the fumigant methyl bromide. At the same time, there is an increase in the proportion of papers on non-chemical controls, particularly with biocontrol and inert materials. In the early years of the JSPR most out of the published papers were from researchers in the United Kingdom, Australia, or the United States, but in the last 25 years or so the JSPR has developed a strong international profile, with submissions from all inhabited continents. This bibliometric analysis shows certain trends on the status of stored product research throughout the world, and can be seen as an indicator for future tendencies of the manuscripts submitted to the JSPR. © 2022