A retrospective overview of Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics using a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

PurposeThis study provides a retrospect of Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics (APJML) for the 27-year period between 1993 and 2019.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses the Scopus database to identify the most-cited APJML articles and most prolific authors, institutions and countries in APJML between 1993 and 2019. The study uses bibliometric indicators as well as tools such as bibliographic coupling and science mapping, to analyze the publication and citation structure of APJML. The study provides a temporal analysis of APJML publishing across different periods.FindingsAPJML's publication has grown at an average rate of 17% per year, while its citations have grown at an impressive rate of 60%. The contributors to the journal come mainly from the Asia Pacific region, which is not surprising given the journal's scope of publication. Bibliographic coupling of articles reveals that the journal has focused mostly on issues related to market orientation, advertising, marketing research, consumer behavior, customer service, marketing in the digital environment and consumer ethnocentrism. Quantitative research in marketing and consumer ethnocentrism is among the emerging themes in the journal and would benefit from more exploration from scholars.Research limitations/implicationsThis study uses data from the Scopus database, whose limitations have implications for the findings. For example, data for the journal's first five issues are not available on Scopus and therefore are not included in the analysis.Originality/valueThis study provides the first overview of APJML's publication and citation trends as well as its thematic structure.