Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research Trends in Episiotomy in Vaginal Births

OpenAlex İngilizce

Objective: This study aimed to examine global research trends on episiotomy in vaginal births using bibliometric analysis, identify current publication patterns, and provide recommendations for future research. Material and Methods: Articles published between 1953 and 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science database using relevant keywords. Of 1,660 initially identified articles, 1,335 were original research articles, and 1,236 of these were written in English; these 1,236 articles constituted the final sample. Data were exported, screened for duplicates using Mendeley, and analyzed and visualized with Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix (R Studio). Results: The 1,236 articles were published across 324 journals, with the United States the most productive country (n=223, 18.04%). The annual growth rate was 5.75%, and the average citation count per article was 24.24. The leading publishers were Elsevier (n=265), Springer Nature (n=239), Wiley (n=211), Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (n=85), and Taylor & Francis (n=63). A total of 5,215 authors contributed, with an international collaboration rate of 13.92% and an average of 5.27 co-authors per document. Thakar was the most prolific author, with 14 publications. The most-cited article,