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Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine

Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine (JHSM) is an unbiased, peer-reviewed, and open access international medical journal. The Journal publishes interesting clinical and experimental research conducted in all fields of medicine, interesting case reports, and clinical images, invited reviews, editorials, letters, comments, and related knowledge.

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

Keywords : Autism spectrum disorder, bibliometric analysis, citation impact, research trends, neurodevelopmental disorders

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Article available in :
Volume 9, Issue 1, 2026
Page : 164-169
https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1777892
Article Information
Received : 04 Eyl 2025
Accepted : 25 Ara 2025
Published : 05 Oca 2026
Corresponding Author :

Pınar Algedik: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Haliç University, İstanbul, Turkiye

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

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