2026/04/20 by Ekaterina Dyachenko, Alexey Zheleznov, Maxim Dmitriev +1 · 1 voice
Computer Science · Decision Sciences · Environmental Science · #Research Data Management Practices #Species Distribution and Climate Change #scientometrics and bibliometrics research
paper · doi:10.1080/17565529.2026.2652538
openalex publication_date 2026/04/20 · openalex created_date 2026/04/21 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15
The explosive growth of scientometric studies in climate research raises a critical question: do these analyses genuinely advance climate science? An analysis of 703 scientometric climate studies (1996–2023) reveals that this ‘Hockey stick’ pattern has been driven in part by discipline-specific mega-journals and by broader differences in national policy ambition. Despite concerns regarding ‘empty productivity’, compelling evidence indicates that scientometric research informs climate science: 92% of studies are cited, primarily by applied researchers. Notably, policy documents tend to favour straightforward descriptive analyses over complex methodologies, underscoring the field’s pragmatic value.