Authorship Patterns and Degree of Collaborations of Agronomy Journal Articles 2000-2020 A Bibliometric Analysis Section Articles

Abstract

This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of authorship patterns and degree of collaboration in agronomy journal articles published between 2000 and 2020, with the aim of identifying patterns that can inform strategies to improve access to agronomy research in Nigeria. A total of 705 peer-reviewed articles sourced from the JSTOR, AGORA, and ProQuest databases were retrieved and analysed using descriptive bibliometric methods. Findings revealed a marked upward trend in publication output over the period: early years (2000–2010) showed low and comparatively stable production (averaging around 15 articles annually), followed by moderate increases from 2011–2017 (roughly 30 articles/year), and a sharp rise post-2017, peaking at 162 articles in 2019. AGORA and ProQuest accounted for the largest share of this later growth. Authorship patterns indicated strong collaboration, with multi-authored publications comprising 72.06% of the total and a Degree of Collaboration of 0.72. Large teams (more than five authors) were especially prominent in the highest-output years. The study recommends sustained investment in database access platforms, promotion of international research partnerships, capacity-building for scholarly publishing, and stronger open-access advocacy.