A bibliometric analysis of the main databases of the Way of St. James (1997–2023)

Abstract The Camino de Santiago is one of the most important pilgrimage routes and representative of the world of Christianity, and the first European Cultural Route that leads to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (Cazaux in Tour Int Interdiscip J 3(1):353–367, 2011; Mróz et al. in Int J Relig Tour Pilgr 7(5):56–71, 2019; Roszak in J Relig Health, 62:2734–2745, 2023; Zhang et al. in J Relig Health, 63(1):89–108, 2024; Roszak and Mróz in J Relig Health 63(6):4861–4875, 2024).This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of publications related to the Camino de Santiago from 1934 to 2023, using the Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases. The data collected in the Scopus database was analyzed using the VOSviewer tool. This tool enabled the generation of thematic network maps, which were derived from the analysis of keyword occurrences, documents, and countries with the highest number of publications. Additionally, it was used to identify journals with the highest number of publications and the most productive authors. 685 studies were identified, of which 317 met the inclusion criteria, after filtering for duplicates, accessibility, and relevance. The main findings reveal that 27.1% of the research has been conducted in arts and humanities, 24.4% in social sciences, 15.2% in tourism, and 13.8% in business, management and accounting. A limited number of comprehensive research projects into the Camino were found. Several studies were inaccessible or didn’t have detailed abstracts. To date, only two bibliometric analyses of the Camino de Santiago have been identified. This research is distinguished by its extended time frame, diverse methodological approaches and use of multiple databases, providing a more nuanced understanding of the scholarly landscape surrounding the Camino de Santiago . The findings underscore the need for more accessible and detailed research to fully capture the multifaceted nature of this historic pilgrimage route.