Global bibliometry on three decades of methyl jasmonate-induced plant defense research reveals growth of a specialty area in biology

Methyl jasmonate (MeJA), a naturally existing plant hormone, acts as a vital defense and signaling molecule. Although this hormone has been discovered recently, published reports spanning the last several decades have shown the pleiotropic effects of the hormone raising numerous questions about its regulation, biogenesis, and mode of action. In this work, we explore the complete scientific research on MeJa from its discovery in 1992, spanning research conducted over three decades, through a complex network analysis of 2,542 documents authored by about 9,000 individuals. Several indicators of research progress were evaluated, including co-authorship networks, keyword thematic maps, indices of national and international collaboration, annual scientific production, and most productive affiliations. These indices not only enabled us to evaluate the importance of a specialty discipline in literature but also the place of nations in determining research directionality and the significance of quality of work. Overall, this bibliometric analysis identifies current research trends in a specialty area in biology and we hope that our work would pave the way for greater international collaborations among researchers and a better understanding of research gaps and future scope of work in the actively expanding field of MeJA induced plant defense, stress, and developmental processes.