Scientometric Analysis of Drug Governance: Research Trends, Scientific Networks, and Frequently Used Keywords (2014-2025)

Abstract

The present study, using scientometric and lexical analysis methods, has drawn a scientific map of the field of drug governance based on 752 foreign scientific-research articles that have been indexed in the Science Direct scientific database between 2014 and 2025. The main goal of this study is to identify and analyze the conceptual structure and thematic networks in the field of drug governance in order to provide a better understanding of trends, key concepts, and relationships between concepts in this field. To achieve this goal, Excel and VOSviewer software were used to analyze data, prepare information, and draw scientific maps. In this study, data related to articles were extracted from the Science Direct database and analyzed after filtering and preparation. Using scientometric methods, conceptual networks and relationships between keywords were examined.

Objective

The objective of this study is to identify and analyze the conceptual structure and thematic networks in the field of drug governance through scientometric and lexical analysis methods, in order to provide a comprehensive picture of trends, key concepts, and conceptual connections in this field.

Methodology

This study, using data from 752 scientific research articles indexed in the Science Direct database from 2014 to 2025, and using Excel and VOSviewer software, conducted a keyword network analysis and drew a scientific map of the field of drug governance.

Findings

Among 118 related keywords, 10 words were identified as core words and 4 words as close to the core words. The words “governance”, “social harms”, “addiction”, “drugs”, and “drug governance” were among the most frequent and important keywords. Additionally, four main thematic clusters were identified in the field of drug governance, each of which represents a specific direction in studies in this field, including social approaches, policymaking, and prevention.

Conclusion

The findings show that in recent years, research has increasingly focused on concepts such as prevention, harm reduction, and improved governance policies. By outlining the conceptual structure of the field, this study helps identify research gaps and guide future studies.

Application

The results can be used by policymakers, researchers, and planners to design more effective strategies for controlling and managing addiction, and pave the way for the development of interdisciplinary collaborations and applied research.