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A scientometric examination on geothermal energy application research

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  • Li, Fanghua
  • Ou, Xiaoduo

Abstract

A growing body of literature related to geothermal energy application (GEA) has emerged, yet a scientometric lens has been notably lacking, leaving GEA research trajectories uncharted. Here, we present a scientometric examination of 2259 GEA papers published between 1990 and 2022, leveraging a dataset from the Web of Science and utilizing a Python-based analytical approach to trace the evolution of GEA research. Our findings highlight a significant increase in GEA publications, collaborative authorships, institutions, and global contributors in recent years. Keywords in GEA research emphasize both theoretical understanding and technologies for optimizing geothermal energy extraction. China and the USA are key players, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences notably leading in publication metrics. Journals such as "Geothermics" and "Renewable Energy" lead in output volume. While title length does not present a clear-cut influence on citation rates, papers with titles of 10–20 words tend to receive more citations. Review articles, comprising 15 % of the analyzed publications, command significantly higher citation rates compared to other types of papers. Papers of extended number of pages and those with many cited references count command higher citation frequencies. Interestingly, manuscripts with limited authorship, particularly single-authored, often achieve citations surpassing 100 marks.

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  • Li, Fanghua & Ou, Xiaoduo, 2025. "A scientometric examination on geothermal energy application research," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 238(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:238:y:2025:i:c:s0960148124019165
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2024.121848
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