Bibliometric Evaluation of Lagerstroemia

Abstract

Lagerstroemia is a genus with a wide geographical range extending from Southeast Asia to Australia, and it plays a significant role in many aspects of urban life, including supporting ecosystems, beautifying cities, and affecting human health. To gain insights into the current state of Lagerstroemia research, a bibliometric analysis was conducted using 138 publications from the Web of Science core database between 2002 and 2022. The analysis involved co-occurrence analyses of authors’ affiliated institutions, a keyword co-occurrence analysis, and a timeline view of keywords. The results of the analysis revealed three stages of Lagerstroemia research: the initial stage (2002–04); the rapid growth stage (2005–13); and the in-depth stage (2014–present). Furthermore, 335 keywords from 10 clusters were identified, which indicated that genetic diversity, breeding, and landscape utilization were the three main research areas of Lagerstroemia. Collaboration among authors mainly occurred within major natural and cultivated regions, such as China and the United States. Based on the bibliometric evaluation, future research of Lagerstroemia should focus on areas such as whole-genome sequencing, male sterility problems, resistance, ornamental characteristics, and landscape utilization guidelines. The findings of this study provide an important reference for further studies and can guide the development, innovation, and application of Lagerstroemia.