Collaboration, impact, and research trends at the veterinary research institutes of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences: a bibliometric analysis from 2009 to 2023

Abstract This paper examines the research output and impact of Veterinary Research Institutes (VRIs) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), namely Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute (SHVRI), Harbin Veterinary Research Institute (HVRI), and Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute (LVRI), to answer research questions. The study explores publication count, citation structure, h-index, most-cited articles, keyword trends, trend topics, co-authorship, thematic maps, and bibliographic coupling. The data is extracted from Scopus, covering publications from 2009 to 2023. Utilizing Excel, R (Biblioshiny), and VOSviewer (version 1.6.20, Leiden University, Netherlands), we found that VRIs of the CAAS demonstrated a steady upward trend in their research output, with SHVRI leading in top-cited articles, HVRI in citations and h-index, and LVRI in publications. Key journals include Veterinary Microbiology and Parasites and Vectors. Leading authors are Chan Ding (SHVRI), Xiaomei Wang (HVRI), and Xing-Quan Zhu (LVRI). Key research focus is on parasitology, virology, immunology, and molecular biology. SHVRI and HVRI’s demonstrated focus is on virology, while LVRI’s interest is in genetic analyses of the pathogens. Bibliographic coupling highlights core themes: SHVRI on Newcastle disease, Schistosoma japonicum , Toxoplasma gondii , and Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus; HVRI on African swine fever virus, Influenza viruses, and Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus; and LVRI on Toxoplasma gondii , the parasitic mitochondrial genome, and Foot and Mouth disease virus. Findings reflect CAAS’s commitment to addressing critical animal diseases for China’s development and food security.