A bibliometric analysis of postgraduate theses in the field of Turkish art music

In this study, postgraduate theses on Turkish Art Music written in Turkey between 1988 and 2024 were analyzed using the bibliometric method. The main aim of the study is to evaluate the trends in academic production, methodological approaches, and thematic diversity in the field, while also providing a systematic framework for future research. A qualitative research method was adopted, and a descriptive analysis was carried out to examine the theses in terms of their types, publication years, universities, institutes, departments, subject titles, advisor profiles, keywords, and reference information. The data source of the study is the National Thesis Center of the Council of Higher Education (YÖKTEZ), and only theses with open access were included in the analysis. The primary limitation of the study is the exclusion of theses without public access. Within this scope, it was determined that 69 postgraduate theses with the keyword "Turkish Art Music" were published in the YÖKTEZ archive between 1988 and 2024, but only 59 of them were accessible. These 59 theses were examined in terms of type, publication year, university, institute, department, subject, advisor profile, keywords, references, and geographical distribution of universities. Among the analyzed theses, 45 were master's theses, 13 were doctoral dissertations, and 1 was an artistic proficiency thesis. The study covered theses prepared in 21 departments within 7 different institutes affiliated with 27 different universities. The findings indicate that there is a concentration of master's theses on Turkish Art Music, whereas doctoral and artistic proficiency-level studies remain relatively limited. Most theses were conducted within institutes of social sciences and educational sciences, while academic production in fine arts institutes was found to be comparatively lower. Thesis production increased at certain periods between 1988 and 2024, with a notable rise in academic output over the past decade. Regarding the subject matter, traditional repertoire, modal structure (makam), music theory, educational methods, and sound technologies emerged as prominent areas. The results of the bibliometric analysis revealed a strong preference for qualitative research methods and the widespread use of descriptive analysis techniques. However, quantitative and mixed methods were found to be relatively less utilized. An examination of keyword diversity showed that interdisciplinary studies were limited, and there is a need to strengthen the connection between traditional music research and academic theoretical approaches. Based on the findings, it is recommended that academic production in Turkish Art Music be encouraged, particularly at the doctoral and artistic proficiency levels. Furthermore, strengthening interdisciplinary perspectives, enhancing methodological diversity, and increasing thesis accessibility are expected to contribute significantly to the scientific development of the field.