Decoding Bibliometrics: Dr. Visal Moosa’s Intriguing Lecture at UIII

December 04, 2023

Contributor: Maroof Ahmed | Editor: Supriyono

The Faculty of Education (FoE) at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) hosted on October 10, 2023, a captivating guest lecture by Dr. Visal Moosa, a distinguished lecturer from the Islamic University of Maldives and a Scholar in Residence at UIII, focusing on Bibliometric Analysis, a subject of growing importance in academic research.

Dr. Moosa began his lecture by establishing a foundational understanding of bibliometrics, referred to as “the application of mathematics and statistical methods to books and other media of communication”, and as “the quantitative treatment of the properties of recorded discourse and behavior pertaining to it”. This initial discussion set the stage for a deeper dive into the nuances and applications of bibliometric analysis.

A key portion of the lecture was dedicated to discussing bibliometric indicators. Dr. Moosa emphasized their critical role in various aspects of research analysis, such as identifying research trends, forecasting publishing trajectories, and assessing the impact of research outputs. He shed light on how bibliometrics can reveal research strengths and weaknesses, authorship trends, and collaboration opportunities, ultimately guiding the productivity assessments of publishers, authors, and institutions.

Dr. Moosa detailed the methodologies involved in bibliometric data analysis. He elaborated on essential techniques like Booleans, quotation marks, parentheses, wild cards, and truncation for efficient data retrieval. These techniques are vital for researchers to navigate through bibliometric databases and extract pertinent information for their studies.

The lecture also covered the topic of bibliometric network visualization, in which Dr. Moosa introduced various software tools, including HistCite, VantagePoint, Pajek, CiteSpace II, Gephi, Bibexcel, VOSviewer, and Biblioshiny. He explained how these tools are instrumental in visualizing the complex relationships and structures within bibliometric data, offering a more comprehensive understanding of the research landscape.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Moosa emphasized the bibliometric analysis’s wide-ranging applicability and benefits in different fields. He particularly urged early-career researchers to explore bibliometric research papers as a valuable publication option, due to their extensive relevance and role in deciphering the knowledge structure across various domains.

The guest lecture by Dr. Visal Moosa at UIII’s FoE was not just an academic presentation but a beacon of inspiration and knowledge for the students and faculty. It exemplified the depth of research possibilities within the education field and showcased the evolving landscape of academic research, enriched by bibliometric analysis. The event stands as a testament to UIII’s commitment to fostering a robust and forward-thinking academic environment.

source: https://www.uiii.ac.id/news/57426/decoding-bibliometrics-dr-visal-moosas-intriguing-lecture-at-uiii