Bibliometric analysis of scientific publications in the field of forensic toxicology between 2003-2024

In this thesis, the international literature on forensic toxicology published between 2003 and 2024 was systematically examined using bibliometric methods. The main objective of the study was to provide a comprehensive overview of global research trends, citation dynamics, collaboration networks, and thematic directions within the field of forensic toxicology. The data were retrieved from an international scientific database and analyzed with bibliometric tools such as VOSviewer. The distribution of publications over the years was evaluated to identify growth patterns, while the most productive authors, institutions, countries, and journals were determined. Citation analysis was conducted to reveal the most influential contributions in the field, and keyword co-occurrence mapping was employed to visualize thematic clusters and emerging research topics. In addition, institutional and international collaborations were assessed through network analysis, providing insights into the global structure of scientific cooperation in forensic toxicology. The findings indicate a significant increase in publications over the past two decades. The United States, the United Kingdom, and several European countries were identified as leading contributors, while Asian countries have shown a remarkable rise in output in recent years. At the author and institutional level, specific research groups played a central role in shaping the development of the discipline. Keyword analyses highlighted the growing prominence of topics such as new psychoactive substances, synthetic cannabinoids, and postmortem toxicology, reflecting the evolving challenges and priorities within forensic practice. In conclusion, this study presents a holistic overview of the forensic toxicology literature, not only summarizing the current state of research but also serving as a guiding reference for future investigations at the global scale.