The evolution of knowledge in sericultural research as observed through a science mapping approach

Abstract

Background: Sericulture, since its discovery in China, has spread to become a valued activity in a range of other countries. China remains the leading producer of silk, followed by India and other Asian countries, Europe, Brazil and Colombia. This article examines the evolution of sericultural research between 1892 and 2016, identifying the main themes and applications. Methods: The SciMat software tool and the Bibliometrix R package were used as tools for data analysis in this study, based on records from the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science and SCOPUS databases. Results: The results show that research has been growing, both in number of publications from the 1990s onwards, and in the emergence of topics closely related to the sericulture research field, a field that proves to be multi-disciplinary, exhibiting expansion and vitality. Conclusions: The information gathered will contribute greatly to the definition of relevant research strands, bearing in mind a number of significant gaps in information in this field. It will furthermore provide a better insight into the development of sericulture research over time.