Bibliometric Analysis of Publications on Autism Spectrum Disorder in Türkiye

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to profile the studies conducted on ‘autism’ in the Turkish Psychiatry Index and ULAKBİM TR Index databases using bibliometric analysis methods. Method: Publications containing the words ‘autism’ or “autism” in their titles or abstracts were searched on 01.07.2025; two publications with the keyword ‘nepotism’ and one publication with information that it had been withdrawn were excluded from the study, and studies that were common in both databases were included only once. A total of 655 publications were included in the study. Results: 546 (83.3%) of the studies had more than one author. The analysis revealed that the studies gained momentum in 2018 and onwards, with the highest number of publications in 2021 (n=75), and the most frequently used keyword was autism spectrum disorder (n=258). The journal with the most articles on this topic was the Ankara University Faculty of Educational Sciences Journal of Special Education (n=43), the journal with the most citations was Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice (n=764), and the department with the most publications was Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (n=88). It was found that 197 of the publications had collaboration between departments or faculties. The most frequent collaboration was between the departments of child and adolescent psychiatry and psychiatry. Conclusion: It is evident that autism is a developing and engaging topic in national academic literature. Promoting interdisciplinary and international collaborations in the field of autism spectrum disorder can enhance both scientific quality and the social impact of research.

Keywords

• Autism
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Bibliometric analysis
• Türkiye

Türkiye’de Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu Üzerine Yapılan Yayınların Bibliyometrik Analizi

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, Türk Psikiyatri Dizini ve ULAKBİM TR Dizin veri tabanlarında yer alan “otizm” alanında şimdiye kadar yapılan çalışmaların profilinin bibliyometrik analiz yöntemi ile ortaya konması amaçlanmıştır. Yöntem: 01.07.2025 tarihinde başlık veya özetlerinde “otizm” veya “autism” kelimeleri yer alan yayınlar taranmış; anahtar kelimesi nepotizm olan 2 yayın ve geri çekildiği bilgisi olan 1 yayın çalışmadan dışlanmış ve her iki veri tabanında ortak olan çalışmalar sadece bir kez alınmıştır. Çalışmaya toplam 655 makale dahil edilmiştir. Bulgular: Araştırmaların 546’sı (%83,3) birden çok yazarlıdır. Analizler sonucunda çalışmaların 2018 ve sonrasında hız kazandığı, en çok yayının 2021 yılında yapıldığı (n=75); en sık kullanılan anahtar kelimenin Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu (n=258) olduğu, bu konuda en çok makalenin yer aldığı derginin Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi Özel Eğitim Dergisi (n=43) olduğu, en fazla atıf alan derginin Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Bilimleri (n=764) olduğu ve en fazla yayının Çocuk ve Ergen Ruh Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları (n=88) bölümü tarafından yapıldığı belirlenmiştir. İncelenen yayınların 197’sinde bölümler veya fakülteler arası iş birliği yapıldığı saptanmıştır. En sık iş birliği yapan bölümlerin çocuk ve ergen ruh sağlığı ve hastalıkları ile ruh sağlığı ve hastalıkları bölümleri arasında gerçekleştiği bulunmuştur. Sonuç: Ulusal alan yazında otizm konusunun gelişmekte olan ve ilgi çeken bir konu olduğu görülmektedir. Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu alanında disiplinler arası ve uluslararası iş birliklerinin teşvik edilmesi hem bilimsel kaliteyi hem de araştırmaların toplumsal etkisini artırabilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Bibliyometrik analiz
• otizm
• Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu
• Türkiye

Kaynakça

1. Akgün NR (2023) Otizm spektrum bozukluğunda yardımcı teknolojilerin eğilimleri: web of science veri tabanına dayalı bibliyometrik analiz (1998–2023). Cumhuriyet Uluslararası Eğitim Dergisi, 12:777-794.
2. Aria M, Cuccurullo C (2017) Bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. J Informetr, 11:959-975.
3. Chen Y, Du X, Zhang X, Li F, Yuan S, Wang W et al. (2025) Research trends of inflammation in autism spectrum disorders: a bibliometric analysis. Front Immunol, 16:1534660.
4. Chowdhury M, Gould M, Ganti L (2024) Advances in autism: a bibliometric analysis. Health Psychol Res, 12:125844.
5. Donthu N, Kumar S, Mukherjee D, Pandey N, Lim WM (2021) How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: an overview and guidelines. J Bus Res, 133:285-296.
6. Eyring KW, Geschwind DH (2021) Three decades of ASD genetics: building a foundation for neurobiological understanding and treatment. Hum Mol Genet, 30:236-244.
7. Grzadzinski R, Huerta M, Lord C (2013) DSM-5 and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs): an opportunity for identifying ASD subtypes. Mol Autism, 4:12.
8. Heng K, Hamid M, Khan A (2020) Factors influencing academics' research engagement and productivity: A developing countries perspective. Issues in Educational Research, 30:965-987.

9. Husaeni A, Novia D, Rahman EF (2025) Effectiveness of Using Augmented Reality-Based Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) in Improving communication skills of autistic students in Indonesian language subjects: bibliometric analysis. Pertanika J Sci Technol, 33:1459-1482.
10. Jensen AR, Lane AL, Werner BA, McLees SE, Fletcher TS, Frye RE (2022) Modern biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder: future directions. Mol Diagn Ther, 26:483-495.
11. Jin F, Wang Z (2024) Mapping the structure of biomarkers in autism spectrum disorder: a review of the most influential studies. Front Neurosci, 18:1514678.
12. Kılıçaslan F, Karataş H, Doğan Ü (2025) A bibliometric and visualized analysis of sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder. Res Dev Disabil, 158:104943.
13. Kumar M, George RJ, PS A (2023) Bibliometric analysis for medical research. Indian J Psychol Med, 45:277-282.
14. Lang D, Rudis B (2016) wordcloud2: Create Word Cloud by 'htmlwidget' (Version 0.2.1) [R package]. https://cran.r-project.org/package=wordcloud2 (Accessed 01.08.2025).
15. Li YA, Chen ZJ, Li XD, Gu MH, Xia N, Gong C et al. (2022) Epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders: global burden of disease 2019 and bibliometric analysis of risk factors. Front Pediatr, 10:972809.
16. Lin X, Zhou R, Liang D, Xia L, Zeng L, Chen X (2022) The role of microbiota in autism spectrum disorder: a bibliometric analysis based on original articles. Front Psychiatry, 13:976827.
17. Liu A, Lu Y, Gong C, Sun J, Wang B, Jiang Z (2023) Bibliometric analysis of research themes and trends of the co-occurrence of autism and ADHD. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat, 24:985-1002.
18. Lorenzo G, Newbutt N, Lorenzo-Lledó A (2022) Global trends in the application of virtual reality for people with autism spectrum disorders: conceptual, intellectual and the social structure of scientific production. Journal of Computers in Education, 9:225-260.
19. Lyu K, Li J, Chen M, Li W, Zhang W, Hu M (2023). Effect of COVID-19 on autism spectrum disorders: A bibliometric analysis based on original articles. Medicine, 102:e35310.
20. Lyu K, Li J, Chen M, Li W, Zhang W, Hu M et al. (2024) A bibliometric analysis of autism spectrum disorder signaling pathways research in the past decade. Front Psychiatry, 15:1304916.
21. Özgür EG, Balcı S (2022) The evolution of autism: a bibliometric analysis. Acta Medica Nicomedia, 5:1-7.
22. Posit team (2025) RStudio: Integrated Development Environment for R. http://www.posit.co/. (Accessed 01.08.2025).
23. Resmi Gazete (2018) Doçentlik Yönetmeliği. https://resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2018/04/20180415-3.htm (Accessed 01.08.2025).
24. Rosen NE, Lord C, Volkmar FR (2021) The diagnosis of autism: from Kanner to DSM-III to DSM-5 and beyond. J Autism Dev Disord, 51:4253-4270.
25. Shaw KA, Williams S, Patrick ME, Valencia-Prado M, Durkin MS, Howerton EM et al. (2025) Prevalence and early identification of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 4 and 8 years—Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 16 Sites, United States, 2022. MMWR Surveill Summ, 74:1-22.
26. Sweileh WM, Al-Jabi SW, Sawalha AF, Zyoud SeH (2016) Bibliometric profile of the global scientific research on autism spectrum disorders. Springerplus, 5:1480.
27. Wu X, Deng H, Jian S, Chen H, Li Q, Gong R et al. (2023) Global trends and hotspots in the digital therapeutics of autism spectrum disorders: a bibliometric analysis from 2002 to 2022. Front Psychiatry, 14:1126404.
28. Xie X, Zhou R, Fang Z, Zhang Y, Wang Q, Liu X (2024) Seeing beyond words: visualizing autism spectrum disorder biomarker insights. Heliyon, 10:e30420.
29. Yamada Y, Sumiyoshi T (2021) Neurobiological mechanisms of transcranial direct current stimulation for psychiatric disorders; neurophysiological, chemical, and anatomical considerations. Front Hum Neurosci, 15:631838.
30. Ying J, Zhang MW, Wei KC, Wong SH, Subramaniam M (2025) Influential articles in autism and gut microbiota: bibliometric profile and research trends. Front Microbiol, 15:1401597.
31. Zhang S, Wang S, Liu R, Dong H, Zhang X, Tai X (2022) A bibliometric analysis of research trends of artificial intelligence in the treatment of autistic spectrum disorders. Front Psychiatry, 13:967074.
32. Zhao J, Lu Y, Wu X, Zhou F, Fei F, Wu X et al. (2022) Bibliometric analysis of research themes and trends in childhood autism spectrum disorders from 2012 to 2021. Front Public Health, 10:925475.