ESPR chronicles: unveiling environmental and pollution science trends across time

Abstract

This study explores current research trends in environmental studies, emphasizing the importance of addressing climate change through effective strategies and highlighting the crucial role of circular economy principles and resource management in achieving sustainability goals. It aims to investigate emerging patterns and analyze the altmetric impact of published research in the field of environment and pollution. Environmental Science and Pollution Research (ESPR), a research journal published by Springer since January 1994, serves as a cornerstone for scholarly discourse in this field. The first volume of ESPR was released in January 1994, and since then, all of the information has been indexed by significant databases like OCLC WorldCat Discovery Service, SCOPUS, and DIMENSIONS, amongst others. ESPR is one of the leading journals with a five-year impact factor of 5.4 and 1.01 SJR Q1 quartile as of 2023, with an h-index of 179. The journal has published influential articles that garnered high altmetric scores, indicating online attention and engagement, although there is a notable disparity between altmetric scores and total citations. Most of the highly cited articles cover various topics, including eutrophication, electrochemical advanced oxidation processes, insecticides, and phytoremediation. Most publications fall under environmental sciences, followed by pollution and contamination. Chinese institutions have substantially contributed to the journal, indicating a strong emphasis on environmental and pollution research in China. Our findings reveal significant growth in publication output and citation rates, alongside a notable disparity between traditional citation metrics and altmetrics, underscoring the need for comprehensive impact assessment methodologies.