Scientometric Analysis of Non-Conventional Energy Research Literature

Abstract

Research on non-conventional energy has experienced significant global growth, with countries such as India playing a prominent role. Scientometric analyses of research trends in this field provide insights into productivity, impact, and collaboration patterns, which are essential for guiding future work and informing policy-making. This study aims to evaluate the contributions of Indian and global researchers to non-conventional energy research from 2003 to 2022, focusing on research productivity, citation impact, growth trends, and international collaborations. The analysis examined 13,378 publications from India and 164,586 publications globally in the non-conventional energy sector over the 2003-2022 period. Scientometric indicators, such as the average citation per paper, annual growth rate (AGR), exponential growth rate, activity index, publication efficiency index (PEI), relative growth rate (RGR), and doubling time (Dt), were employed. Bradford’s law of scattering and Zipf’s law were also tested to assess their applicability in this domain. In 2004, India achieved the highest average citation per paper, with 117.58 citations, while globally, the highest average citation per paper was 67.56 in 2005. The highest annual growth rate (AGR) of 114.26% was recorded in 2006, which also marked the peak exponential growth rate of 2.14, with 45 publications. In 2022, the highest activity index was 141.56. The maximum publication efficiency index (PEI) value was 4.38 in 2004, with 31 publications. The study identified Kumar, A., as the most prolific author, contributing 281 papers (12.87%) and highlighted the United States of America as the top international collaborator with 488 records. Bradford’s law of scattering and Zipf’s law did not align with the publication distribution patterns in this research area. Additionally, the study examined the mean relative growth rate (RGR), doubling time (Dt) for publications and citations, and other key scientometric indicators. The findings demonstrate strong growth and high citation impact in non-conventional energy research, with India and the global research community making significant contributions. Collaborative networks, particularly with the United States of America, play a substantial role in advancing this field. These insights underscore the importance of continued research and collaboration in non-conventional energy to address global energy challenges.