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Otizm araştırmalarının evrimi (1980–2024): yayın eğilimleri ve bilimsel etki üzerine bibliyometrik bir değerlendirme

Year 2026, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 164 - 169, 05.01.2026
https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1777892

Abstract

Amaç: Otizm spektrum bozukluğu (OSB), son kırk yılda hızla gelişen ve multidisipliner nitelik kazanan bir araştırma alanı haline gelmiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, bilimsel yayın hacmini, atıf etkisini, önde gelen yazarları, kurumları ve ülkeleri belirleyerek 1980–2024 yılları arasında OSB üzerine yapılan yayınların bibliyometrik analizini sunmaktır.
Gereç ve Yöntem: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E) veri tabanında 1980–2024 yılları arasında yayımlanan OSB ile ilgili makaleler, Web of Science Core Collection kullanılarak 6 Ocak 2025 tarihinde taranmıştır. Sadece "makale" ve "derleme" türündeki İngilizce yayınlar dahil edilmiştir. Veriler Tab Delimited File formatında dışa aktarılmış ve VOSviewer 1.6.18 yazılımı ile analiz edilmiştir. Yayın sayısı, atıf sayısı, yazar ve kurum üretkenliği, ülke katkısı ve anahtar kelime eşleşmeleri temel göstergeler olarak değerlendirilmiştir.
Bulgular: Toplam 23.198 yayın analiz edilmiştir. En çok atıf alan dergi Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders olurken, King’s College London ve Toronto Üniversitesi en üretken kurumlar olarak öne çıkmıştır. ABD, Birleşik Krallık ve Kanada hem yayın hem de atıf sayısında başı çekmiştir. En etkili yazarlar arasında Simon Baron-Cohen, Christopher Gillberg ve Tony Charman yer almıştır. “Nörogelişimsel bozukluklar”, “şizofreni” ve “Rett sendromu” gibi anahtar kelimeler, alandaki disiplinlerarası yaklaşımı vurgulamaktadır. Buna karşılık, eğitim, yaşam kalitesi gibi sosyokültürel konular literatürde sınırlı yer bulmuştur.
Sonuç: OSB araştırmaları, yüksek gelirli ve İngilizce konuşan ülkelerde yoğunlaşmakla birlikte küresel olarak artan üretkenlik ve disiplinler arası iş birlikleri ile karakterize edilmektedir. Gelecekte yapılacak bibliyometrik çalışmaların, çoklu veri tabanları, çok dilli kaynaklar ve niteliksel analizleri de kapsaması; otizm araştırmalarına daha kapsayıcı ve bütüncül bir bakış açısı kazandıracaktır.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Otizm spektrum bozukluğu, bibliyometrik analiz, atıf etkisi, araştırma eğilimleri, nörogelişimsel bozukluklar

Ethical Statement

Bu çalışma, kamuya açık veritabanlarından (örn. Web of Science, Scopus) elde edilen veriler üzerinden yapılan bir bibliyometrik analizdir. İnsan katılımcılar, hayvanlar veya hasta verileri içermemektedir. Bu nedenle etik kurul onayı uygulanabilir değildir

Supporting Institution

Destekleyen kurum yoktur.

References

  • American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 2022.
  • Maenner MJ, Warren Z, Williams AR, et al. Prevalence and characteristics of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 years-autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, 11 sites, United States, 2020. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2023;72(2):1-14. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.ss7202a1
  • Zakrocka M, Gruszka M, Polańska P, Kubicka M. Autism spectrum disorder: definition, global epidemiology, prevalence in Poland and worldwide, and heredity. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2025; 78:57619-57619. doi:10.12775/JEHS.2025.78.57619
  • Qin L, Wang H, Ning W, Cui M, Wang Q. New advances in the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Eur J Med Res. 2024;29(1):322. doi:10.1186/s40001-024-01916-2
  • Kilicaslan F, Karatas H, Dogan U. A bibliometric and visualized analysis of sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder. Res Dev Disabil. 2025;158:104943. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.104943
  • Elnageeb ME, Ahmed EM, Adam KM, et al. Interdisciplinary insights and global perspectives on adhd in children: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis (2014-2024). Psychiatry Int. 2024;5(4):616-641. doi: 10.3390/psychiatryint5040045
  • Chen G, Chen W, Qi S, Shek DTL. Improving child and adolescent mental health: a bibliometric analysis of related intervention studies. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024;21(12):1576. doi:10.3390/ijerph2112 1576
  • Naveed S, Waqas A, Majeed S, Zeshan M, Jahan N, Haaris Sheikh M. Child psychiatry: a scientometric analysis 1980-2016. F1000Res. 2017;6: 1293. doi:10.12688/f1000research.12069.1
  • van Eck NJ, Waltman L. Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics. 2010;84(2):523-538.doi:10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3
  • Amaral DG, Associate E. What we publish and what we do not. Autism Res. 2025;18(1):7-8. doi:10.1002/aur.3307
  • Benger M, Kinali M, Mazarakis ND. Autism spectrum disorder: prospects for treatment using gene therapy. Mol Autism. 2018;9:39. doi: 10.1186/s13229-018-0222-8
  • Hossain MM, Khan N, Sultana A, et al. Prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders among people with autism spectrum disorder: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Psychiatry Res. 2020;287:112922. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112922
  • Lai MC, Kassee C, Besney R, et al. Prevalence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses in the autism population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry. 2019;6(10):819-829. doi:10.1016/S22 15-036 6(19)30289-5
  • Xiao L, Huo X, Wang Y, et al. A bibliometric analysis of global research status and trends in neuromodulation techniques in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder. Bmc Psychiatry. 2023;23(1):183. doi:10.1186/s12 888-023-04666-3
  • Lin CH, Chien TW, Yan YH. Predicting the number of article citations in the field of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the 100 top-cited articles since 2014: a bibliometric analysis. Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2021;20(1):6. doi:10.1186/s12991-021-00329-3
  • Zhang S, Fan H, Zhang Y. The 100 Top-cited studies on dyslexia research: a bibliometric analysis. Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:714627. doi:10.3389/fp syt.2021.714627
  • Chisholm K, Lin A, Abu-Akel A, Wood SJ. The association between autism and schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a review of eight alternate models of co-occurrence. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015;55:173-183. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.04.012
  • Neul JL. The relationship of Rett syndrome and MECP2 disorders to autism. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2012;14(3):253-262. doi:10.31887/DCNS. 2012.14.3/jneul
  • Capal JK, Jeste SS. Autism and epilepsy. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2024; 71(2):241–252. doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2024.01.004
  • Alrehaili RA, ElKady RM, Alrehaili JA, Alreefi RM. Exploring early childhood autism spectrum disorders: a comprehensive review of diagnostic approaches in young children. Cureus. 2023;15(12):e50111. doi:10.7759/cureus.50111
  • Social, Genetic C Developmental psychiatry social, Genetic C Developmental Psychiatry Centre King’s College London. 2025.
  • Happe F, Ronald A, Plomin R. Time to give up on a single explanation for autism. Nat Neurosci. 2006;9(10):1218-1220. doi:10.1038/nn1770
  • Department of Psychology, University of Toronto 2025.
  • UC Davis MIND Institute 2025.
  • Frith CD, Frith U. The self and its reputation in autism. Neuron. 2008;57(3): 331-332. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2008.01.014
  • Tan Yang Autism Center at Harvard 2025.
  • Leydesdorff L, Wagner C. Macro-level indicators of the relations between research funding and research output. Journal of Informetrics. 2009;3(4):353-362. doi:10.1016/j.joi.2009.05.005
  • Cech EA. How economics shapes science. Contemporary Sociology. 2013;42:(3)424
  • Lariviere V, Haustein S, Borner K. Long-distance interdisciplinarity leads to higher scientific impact. PLoS One. 2015;10(3):e0122565. doi: 10.13 71/journal.pone.0122565
  • Zhou P, Leydesdorff L. The emergence of China as a leading nation in science. Research Policy. 2006;35(1):83-104. doi:10.1016/j.respol.2005.08. 006
  • Baron-Cohen S, Leslie AM, Frith U. Does the autistic child have a "theory of mind"? Cognition. 1985;21(1):37-46. doi:10.1016/0010-0277 (85)90022-8
  • Gillberg C, Billstedt E, Sundh V, Gillberg IC. Mortality in autism: a prospective longitudinal community-based study. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010;40(3):352-357. doi:10.1007/s10803-009-0883-4
  • Charman T, Pasco G, Hendry A, et al. Three year outcomes in infants with a family history of autism and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. JCPP Adv. 2023;3(4):e12189. doi:10.1002/jcv2.12189
  • Anagnostou E, Taylor MJ. Review of neuroimaging in autism spectrum disorders: what have we learned and where we go from here. Mol Autism. 2011;2(1):4. doi:10.1186/2040-2392-2-4
  • Leonard H, Glasson E, Bebbington A, et al. Application of population-based linked data to the study of intellectual disability and autism. using secondary datasets to understand persons with developmental disabilities and their families. International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities. 2013:281-327. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-40776 0-7.00008-6
  • Minello A. The pandemic and the female academic. Nature 2020.

Autism research trends since childhood onset (1980–2024): a bibliometric perspective

Year 2026, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 164 - 169, 05.01.2026
https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1777892

Abstract

Aims: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has become a rapidly expanding field of research over the past four decades, resulting in a large and multidisciplinary body of scientific literature. Bibliometric analyses offer valuable insights into publication trends, influential contributors, and the evolving structure of the research landscape.
Methods: This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of scientific articles on ASD published between 1980 and 2024 in journals indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E). Data were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection on January 6, 2025, and analyzed using VOSviewer. Key bibliometric indicators included publication volume, citation counts, author and institutional productivity, country-level contributions, and keyword co-occurrence patterns.
Results: A total of 23,198 publications were analyzed. The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders emerged as the most cited journal, while King’s College London and the University of Toronto were the leading institutions in terms of publication volume. The United States, United Kingdom, and Canada led in publication output and citation impact. Simon Baron-Cohen, Christopher Gillberg, and Tony Charman were identified as the most prolific and influential authors. Keywords such as “neurodevelopmental disorders,” “schizophrenia,” and “Rett syndrome” indicate a strong interdisciplinary focus, particularly in neuroscience and genetics. However, socio-cultural topics such as education and quality of life remain underrepresented.
Conclusion: ASD research is characterized by increasing global productivity and interdisciplinary collaboration, although it remains largely concentrated in high-income, English-speaking countries. Future bibliometric studies should incorporate multiple databases, multilingual sources, and qualitative approaches to ensure a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of autism research.

Ethical Statement

This study is a bibliometric analysis based on data retrieved from publicly available databases (e.g., Web of Science, Scopus). It does not involve human participants, animals, or patient data. Therefore, ethics committee approval is not applicable.

Supporting Institution

No supporting institution

References

  • American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 2022.
  • Maenner MJ, Warren Z, Williams AR, et al. Prevalence and characteristics of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 years-autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, 11 sites, United States, 2020. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2023;72(2):1-14. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.ss7202a1
  • Zakrocka M, Gruszka M, Polańska P, Kubicka M. Autism spectrum disorder: definition, global epidemiology, prevalence in Poland and worldwide, and heredity. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2025; 78:57619-57619. doi:10.12775/JEHS.2025.78.57619
  • Qin L, Wang H, Ning W, Cui M, Wang Q. New advances in the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Eur J Med Res. 2024;29(1):322. doi:10.1186/s40001-024-01916-2
  • Kilicaslan F, Karatas H, Dogan U. A bibliometric and visualized analysis of sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder. Res Dev Disabil. 2025;158:104943. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.104943
  • Elnageeb ME, Ahmed EM, Adam KM, et al. Interdisciplinary insights and global perspectives on adhd in children: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis (2014-2024). Psychiatry Int. 2024;5(4):616-641. doi: 10.3390/psychiatryint5040045
  • Chen G, Chen W, Qi S, Shek DTL. Improving child and adolescent mental health: a bibliometric analysis of related intervention studies. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024;21(12):1576. doi:10.3390/ijerph2112 1576
  • Naveed S, Waqas A, Majeed S, Zeshan M, Jahan N, Haaris Sheikh M. Child psychiatry: a scientometric analysis 1980-2016. F1000Res. 2017;6: 1293. doi:10.12688/f1000research.12069.1
  • van Eck NJ, Waltman L. Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics. 2010;84(2):523-538.doi:10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3
  • Amaral DG, Associate E. What we publish and what we do not. Autism Res. 2025;18(1):7-8. doi:10.1002/aur.3307
  • Benger M, Kinali M, Mazarakis ND. Autism spectrum disorder: prospects for treatment using gene therapy. Mol Autism. 2018;9:39. doi: 10.1186/s13229-018-0222-8
  • Hossain MM, Khan N, Sultana A, et al. Prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders among people with autism spectrum disorder: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Psychiatry Res. 2020;287:112922. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112922
  • Lai MC, Kassee C, Besney R, et al. Prevalence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses in the autism population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry. 2019;6(10):819-829. doi:10.1016/S22 15-036 6(19)30289-5
  • Xiao L, Huo X, Wang Y, et al. A bibliometric analysis of global research status and trends in neuromodulation techniques in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder. Bmc Psychiatry. 2023;23(1):183. doi:10.1186/s12 888-023-04666-3
  • Lin CH, Chien TW, Yan YH. Predicting the number of article citations in the field of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the 100 top-cited articles since 2014: a bibliometric analysis. Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2021;20(1):6. doi:10.1186/s12991-021-00329-3
  • Zhang S, Fan H, Zhang Y. The 100 Top-cited studies on dyslexia research: a bibliometric analysis. Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:714627. doi:10.3389/fp syt.2021.714627
  • Chisholm K, Lin A, Abu-Akel A, Wood SJ. The association between autism and schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a review of eight alternate models of co-occurrence. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015;55:173-183. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.04.012
  • Neul JL. The relationship of Rett syndrome and MECP2 disorders to autism. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2012;14(3):253-262. doi:10.31887/DCNS. 2012.14.3/jneul
  • Capal JK, Jeste SS. Autism and epilepsy. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2024; 71(2):241–252. doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2024.01.004
  • Alrehaili RA, ElKady RM, Alrehaili JA, Alreefi RM. Exploring early childhood autism spectrum disorders: a comprehensive review of diagnostic approaches in young children. Cureus. 2023;15(12):e50111. doi:10.7759/cureus.50111
  • Social, Genetic C Developmental psychiatry social, Genetic C Developmental Psychiatry Centre King’s College London. 2025.
  • Happe F, Ronald A, Plomin R. Time to give up on a single explanation for autism. Nat Neurosci. 2006;9(10):1218-1220. doi:10.1038/nn1770
  • Department of Psychology, University of Toronto 2025.
  • UC Davis MIND Institute 2025.
  • Frith CD, Frith U. The self and its reputation in autism. Neuron. 2008;57(3): 331-332. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2008.01.014
  • Tan Yang Autism Center at Harvard 2025.
  • Leydesdorff L, Wagner C. Macro-level indicators of the relations between research funding and research output. Journal of Informetrics. 2009;3(4):353-362. doi:10.1016/j.joi.2009.05.005
  • Cech EA. How economics shapes science. Contemporary Sociology. 2013;42:(3)424
  • Lariviere V, Haustein S, Borner K. Long-distance interdisciplinarity leads to higher scientific impact. PLoS One. 2015;10(3):e0122565. doi: 10.13 71/journal.pone.0122565
  • Zhou P, Leydesdorff L. The emergence of China as a leading nation in science. Research Policy. 2006;35(1):83-104. doi:10.1016/j.respol.2005.08. 006
  • Baron-Cohen S, Leslie AM, Frith U. Does the autistic child have a "theory of mind"? Cognition. 1985;21(1):37-46. doi:10.1016/0010-0277 (85)90022-8
  • Gillberg C, Billstedt E, Sundh V, Gillberg IC. Mortality in autism: a prospective longitudinal community-based study. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010;40(3):352-357. doi:10.1007/s10803-009-0883-4
  • Charman T, Pasco G, Hendry A, et al. Three year outcomes in infants with a family history of autism and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. JCPP Adv. 2023;3(4):e12189. doi:10.1002/jcv2.12189
  • Anagnostou E, Taylor MJ. Review of neuroimaging in autism spectrum disorders: what have we learned and where we go from here. Mol Autism. 2011;2(1):4. doi:10.1186/2040-2392-2-4
  • Leonard H, Glasson E, Bebbington A, et al. Application of population-based linked data to the study of intellectual disability and autism. using secondary datasets to understand persons with developmental disabilities and their families. International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities. 2013:281-327. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-40776 0-7.00008-6
  • Minello A. The pandemic and the female academic. Nature 2020.
There are 36 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Clinical Psychology
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Pınar Algedik 0000-0002-9617-6224

Orhan Kocaman 0000-0002-7504-5604

Submission Date September 4, 2025
Acceptance Date December 25, 2025
Publication Date January 5, 2026
Published in Issue Year 2026 Volume: 9 Issue: 1

Cite

AMA 1.Algedik P, Kocaman O. Autism research trends since childhood onset (1980–2024): a bibliometric perspective. J Health Sci Med / JHSM. 2026;9(1):164-169. doi:10.32322/jhsm.1777892

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