Speech, Language, and Hearing in the 21st Century: A Bibliometric Review of JSLHR From 2001 to 2021

Abstract

Purpose: A bibliometric analysis was performed for articles published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research ( JSLHR ) from 2001 to 2021 to examine changes to and emerging trends in the speech, language, and hearing sciences in the 21st century. Method: Quantitative analyses using JASP were performed on the publication rate and number of authors in articles published in JSLHR for each year from 2001 to 2021. VOSviewer was used to analyze and visualize networks of co-occurring Keyword Plus terms extracted from the articles published in JSLHR for several representative years from 2001 to 2021. Results: Although the number of publications and number of authors published in JSLHR increased from 2001 to 2021, that growth was consistent with the growth found in science in general and with changes in publication policies and practices. The number and range of countries other than the United States published in JSLHR increased from 2001 to 2021. A consistent set of institutions published frequently in JSLHR across the years examined. The analysis of Keyword Plus terms showed an increase in the range of populations, disorders, and languages that were the subject of research from 2001 to 2021, as well as influences from other fields on speech, language, and hearing sciences. Conclusion: The science of science approach and the tools of network science are useful for assessing how changes in editorial policy affect diversity, for monitoring research topics that are growing (or declining), for identifying institutions that lead the field, and for inviting discussions among various interested parties related to the growth and development of a discipline.