Mapping the Landscape of Dry Fish Research in the World vis-a-vis India (1990–2022)

Abstract

The fisheries industry has long relied on dried fish as a pivotal commodity for trade and consumption, significantly contributing to economic, nutritional, and cultural sectors. Despite its importance, a comprehensive analysis of the research landscape, particularly concerning India, has been lacking. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap by conducting a scientometric analysis of global and Indian dry fish research from 1990 to 2022 using the Publish or Perish application. Keywords such as ‘dry fish’, ‘dried fish’, and ‘fish drying’ were used to identify 1,502 relevant articles. The findings reveal that Asia leads in dry fish research, accounting for 66.33% (977 articles) of the total, with India emerging as a major contributor, representing 21.75% (320 articles) of the global output, followed by Bangladesh (16.38 % - 241 articles) and Nigeria (13.26% - 195 articles). Notably, Kerala contributes
significantly to India’s research with 20.5% (64
articles). The articles garnered 23,074 citations,
averaging 699 citations per year, with research
papers constituting 73.5% of the publications.
“Fishery Technology” stands out as the leading journal in this field, publishing 35 articles. Collaborative efforts are evident, with an average collaboration index of 3.10 and 21.24% of articles featuring three authors. The primary focus was on “dried” products (72.4%), followed by “smoked” products (11.15%). Articles were categorized into “Food value” (1,242), “Economic value” (218), and “Cultural heritage value” (42). The study further delves into sub-themes such as food and nutrition, food safety and microbiology, food engineering, economics and marketing, value chain, labour, gender, and history and change. This analysis underscores Asia’s, particularly India’s, significant contributions to global dry fish research and offers valuable insights into the multifaceted dimensions of this vital industry.