bibliometric analysis of and their role in rural development in the period of 1978-2023

Purpose: this study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the structure and trends in natural resources literature from 1978 to 2023. by identifying the main thematic clusters, key terms, influential authors, and countries contributing to the field, this research offers valuable insights into the evolution of natural resources research and its implications for sustainable resource management, community participation, and the integration of socio-economic considerations.methods: a bibliometric analysis was conducted on 380 articles indexed in scopus using vosviewer software. the study period was divided into two sub-periods, 1978-2000 and 2001-2023, to examine the evolution of research themes over time. co-occurrence analysis, citation analysis, and bibliographic coupling were employed to identify the main thematic clusters, influential authors, and countries contributing to the field.results: five main thematic clusters were identified: natural resources, natural resource management, community-based natural resource management, sustainability, and rural economy. the research themes evolved from focusing on the government’s role in natural resource management during 1978-2000 to the role of institutions and individuals in sustainable resource use and rural programs after 2000. the relationship between natural resources, climate change, and ecosystem services has recently gained prominence. the study also identified key terms such as sustainability, community-based management, rural development, and climate change, which have shaped the discourse in this field. furthermore, influential authors and countries contributing significantly to the development of research on natural resources were highlighted.conclusion: despite the limitations of bibliometric analysis, such as the exclusion of potentially influential documents not indexed in scientific databases, this study offers a comprehensive overview of the structure and trends in natural resources research. the findings emphasize the importance of sustainable resource management, community participation, and the integration of socio-economic considerations in addressing the challenges related to natural resources.