Trends in Fisheries Science from 2000 to 2009: A Bibliometric Study

The present study applies a bibliometric approach to identify recent patterns and trends in the methods, subjects, and authorships in the literature published in fisheries science (2000-2009). The results indicate that the most frequently studied group of species were Salmonidae, although the interest for these species seems to be diminishing. The studies of the marine habitat and inland habitats, respectively, have revealed a marked increase and decrease in frequency. Genetics represents the most rapidly growing area of research. The model development was the most frequently applied method in fisheries science, although such publications have had a generally lower number of citations. The number of experimental studies was markedly low, but they were also the most frequently cited. The United States was the most productive country over the last decade with a gradually increasing output over the time, but it was surpassed by the total European Union output. An apparent difference in the research output has been recorded between the developed and developing countries. The findings of this study, however, indicate a positive tendency in this direction. A growing rate of publications based on international collaboration was recorded, and such publications also demonstrate a higher number of citations than the single-country publications.