Citation-Based Lens on Research Productivity in the Field of Economics and Finance in India : The Case of the Indian Journal of Finance
Abstract
Purpose : Citations are considered the currency of academic credibility and scholarly productivity, measured through the citations received. This study is an in-depth analysis of the Indian Journal of Finance (IJF) through the lens of citation analysis. The purpose of the study was to identify the trends and patterns of academic studies in the finance and economics stream in India. Design/Methodology/Approach : A citation-based bibliometric approach was applied to analyze 768 articles published in the Indian Journal of Finance during 2010–2025. The data were retrieved from the Scopus database on April 10, 2025, using the advanced search query: SRCTITLE (“Indian Journal of Finance”) AND PUBYEAR > 2009 AND PUBYEAR < 2026 AND DOCTYPE(ar). Citation analysis and keyword co-occurrence analysis were conducted through VOSviewer. Findings : Analysis of 768 articles published in the Indian Journal of Finance from 2010 to April 2025 revealed that 693 (90.23%) contributions originated from Indian institutions. Keyword analysis showed that scholarly contributions in the Indian Journal of Finance during the study period were systematically grouped into seven thematic clusters. The top five scholars were identified based on their publication contribution, while five seminal publications were identified based on their citation impact during the study period. This study’s findings also highlighted that higher publication volume does not necessarily correspond to greater citation impact. Practical Implications : The findings suggested meaningful insights for journal editors, researchers, academic institutions, and policymakers by identifying influential authors, high-impact research themes, and citation trends. The findings can also act as inputs for framing editorial policy and to encourage high-quality collaborative research, which can enhance the journal’s international visibility.