| Abstract: |
The present study undertakes a comprehensive bibliometric investigation of the scholarly communications cited in doctoral dissertations submitted to the Institute of Agriculture over a period spanning 2010 to 2023. A total of 105 dissertations, containing 8,058 references, were systematically analysed to determine the citation patterns, typology of referenced documents, most frequently cited journals, chronological distribution of cited literature, authorship trends, and the geographic origin of sources. The findings reveal that research journal articles constitute the predominant category of cited literature (52.34%), followed by books and monographs (23.28%), and conference proceedings (10.32%). Among the 105 dissertations analysed, the average citation count per dissertation was found to be 76.74, with the highest density observed in the domains of Horticulture and Soil Science. Bradford's Law of Scattering was applied to identify core journals in agricultural research, with the Indian Journal of Agronomy, Field Crops Research, and Current Science emerging as the most heavily cited periodicals. Chronological analysis disclosed that the median age of cited literature was 14.3 years, demonstrating a moderate reliance on recent scholarship balanced with engagement with seminal agricultural texts. The geographical distribution of citations highlighted a near-equal distribution between domestic Indian sources (47.31%) and international publications (52.69%), underscoring the global orientation of agricultural doctoral research in India. These findings carry significant implications for library acquisition policies, curriculum development, and the strengthening of scholarly communication infrastructure within agricultural universities. |
