Scientific Output on <I>Azadirachta indica</I> (Neem): A Bibliometric Study

Abstract

Purpose: The study outlines the growth of scientific literature on Azadirachta indica in journals applying bibliometric analysis. The purpose is to provide an overview of the research activities on the subject, exploring different aspects of scientific literature. Methodology: The data was accessed in the month of August 2015 using the 'PubMed'. An advanced search was conducted in the database using the phrase 'Azadirachta indica' and alternative search terms including 'neem', 'indian lilac' and 'margosa'. The search results were filtered for journal articles, English language and up to the year 2014. A total of 1198 results were found fulfilling the search criteria. The data was downloaded in Excel format and then analyzed. The data analysis was performed using frequencies and percentages of publications. Besides, Lotka's law had been applied to assess the author productivity and Bradford's law of scattering was used to ascertain the distribution pattern of articles. Findings: A high degree of research/ authorship collaboration (.9472) on Azadirachta indica was found. All except 05.28% articles were works of joint authorship. Author productivity considering first author as well as all authors did not fit Lotka's law with a value of n=2. The distribution of articles in journals was found nearly acceptable to the Bradford's law of scattering making it obvious that there are a few core journals contributing significantly on Azadirachta indica. Originality: The paper provides an overview of the research activities on Azadirachta indica.