India-specific research by non-Indians: a bibliometric analysis of social science literature

This study aims to uncover and characterize research related to India conducted by international scholars, utilizing the Scopus database. It focuses on annual trends, leading authors, institutions, and countries, as well as preferred journals and highly cited articles. The analysis was performed using MS-Excel and the Bibliometrix R Package, incorporating science mapping alongside publication analysis. The findings indicate that the earliest studies on India date back to 1836, with two-thirds of the studies published between 2005 and 2023. The University of California has produced the highest number of research articles, while the United States remains the leader in global scientific output. The top two funding agencies for research on India are the National Science Foundation of the United States and the Economic and Social Research Council of the United Kingdom. Although authors from the United States dominate the field, a Brazilian author ranks at the top. Seventeen journals account for 16% of the total articles, with most of the leading journals originating from the United Kingdom. The top three journals include South Asia: Journal of South Asia Studies, World Development, and Modern Asian Studies. Researchers from other countries have focused on contemporary issues in their studies of India, including gender, development, South Asia, migration, education, and caste. This research may assist scholars in identifying relevant topics and trends in the social science literature concerning India and enable comparisons of research patterns in culturally similar nations.