Bibliometric Analysis of Research Papers on Academic Stress (1989-2023)

Abstract

This extensive study provides a comprehensive overview of the contemporary research landscape about academic stress, emphasizing on identifying the most relevant contributors and understanding prevalent trends. The analysis included 5,375 results from the PubMed database and revealed a consistent upward trajectory with fluctuations in research paper publications over the years. Network analysis and visualization were performed using the Biblioshiny app and VOSviewer software. The analysis identified that the University of Oslo has published the highest number of research papers related to academic stress. In contrast, the Netherlands, the USA, and Australia demonstrated the highest frequency of collaboration. Analysis of keywords and their co-occurrence provides an overview of the research focus and the areas associated with psychological stress due to academics. Thematic evaluation and topic trend analysis provided insights into the evolving nature of research in academic stress. The thematic map depicts two categories of themes - motor themes, including psychological stress, its epidemiology, the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the mental health of university students, particularly those in medical programs; and emerging themes, including oxidative stress and risk factors, indicated evolving areas of interest. A notable observation was the scarcity of research on primary school students, signaling a gap in the existing academic stress literature. Citation analysis identified the most cited authors, countries, universities, and sources. This multifaceted examination provides a nuanced understanding of academic stress research's current state and dynamics, offering valuable insights into trends, collaborations, and thematic shifts that will guide future research in this critical field.

Keywords: academic stress; bibliometric; citation analysis; mental health; network analysis; network visualisation; overlay visualisation; psychological stress; stress; thematic analysis.

Figure 1. A Flow Chart Illustrating the Selection Process of Studies in the PubMed Database.

Image Credit: Namrata Dagli

Figure 2. The Publishing Trend of Research Papers on Academic Stress.

Image Credit: Namrata Dagli

Figure 3. Most Relevant Authors in Research on Academic Stress.

Image Credit: Namrata Dagli

Figure 4. Most Relevant Universities in Research on Academic Stress.

Image Credit: Namrata Dagli

Figure 5. Overlay Visualization of the Co-occurrence of Keywords in Research Papers on Academic Stress.

The size of the circle represents the frequency of occurrence for keywords. Lines represent the links between the items (weight-total link strength, scores-average publication year). Image Credit: Namrata Dagli

Figure 6. Trend Topic Analysis of Research Papers on Academic Stress.

Image Credit: Namrata Dagli

Figure 7. Thematic Map of Themes on Academic Stress Research.

Image Credit: Namrata Dagli

Figure 8. Thematic Evolution Analysis (by Biblioshiny). It Identifies Evolution in Study Themes Related to Research on Academic Stress.

Image Credit: Namrata Dagli

Figure 9. Analysis of Countries and Their Collaboration Frequency.

Image Credit: Namrata Dagli

Figure 10. Overlay Visualization of the Most Cited Authors.

The size of frames and fonts represents the number of citations (weight-citation). Lines represent the links between the items. The color of an item represents the average citation of the authors and ranges from blue (lowest score) to green to yellow (highest score). Image Credit: Namrata Dagli

Figure 11. Overlay Visualization of the Most Cited Countries.

The size of the frames and fonts represents the number of citations (weight-citation). Lines represent the links between the countries. The color of an item represents the average citation of the countries and ranges from blue (lowest score) to green to yellow (highest score). Image Credit: Namrata Dagli

Figure 12. Overlay Visualization of the Most Cited Universities.

The size of frames and fonts represents the number of citations (weight-citation). Lines represent the links between the universities. The color of an item represents the average citation of the item and ranges from blue (lowest score) to green to yellow (highest score). Image Credit: Namrata Dagli

Figure 13. Overlay Visualization of the Most Cited Sources.

The size of frames and fonts represents the number of documents (weight-documents). Lines represent the links between the items. Image Credit: Namrata Dagli

Figure 14. The Dominant Findings of This Paper.

Notes: This figure has been drawn with the premium version of BioRender (https://biorender.com/ accessed on 30th December 2023) with the Agreement License Number VD26HQ85AX. Image Credit: Rahnuma Ahmad