Knowledge Structure in Forensic <scp>DNA</scp>: A Bibliometric Perspective of the Asian Forensic Sciences Network (<scp>AFSN</scp>) Member Countries (2008–2022)

ABSTRACT Regional scientific networks play a central role in synergizing the scientific cooperation between regional countries. This study assessed the scientific productivity of Asian Forensic Sciences Network (AFSN) member countries in the knowledge domain of forensic DNA, spanning 15 years since its establishment in 2008. A total of 2357 publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, employing related keyword searches. Overall, 27,880 total citations were found, with 11.83 average citations per publication. China is currently the regional leader in forensic DNA within the AFSN, with the most publications and prolific top institutions. Visualization analysis for mapping research trends based on the co‐occurrence of keywords was performed using VOSviewer. The analysis revealed five main clusters of research themes: (1) general development, (2) genetic ancestry and population genetics, (3) mitochondrial DNA, (4) forensic epigenetics, and (5) microhaplotype markers. The development of microhaplotype panels for massively parallel sequencing platforms and epigenetic markers is gaining increasing interest for forensic analysis of AFSN. This work is valuable for informing future research priorities for forensic DNA and facilitating improved collaboration on research outputs among AFSN members.