Scientific production on the armed conflict in Colombia: A scientometric analysis (2003–2025)

Abstract

This study employs a scientometric analysis of 326 unique articles and conference papers retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science for the period 2003–2025 to map scientific research on Colombia's armed conflict. The records were integrated and deduplicated using the BibFusion software. The publication, citation, country, journal, author, and collaboration-network indicators were examined. In consideration of the paucity of production prior to 2010, the annual series has been focused on the period from 2010 to 2025. The number of publications increased from 2 in 2011 to 38 in 2025, corresponding to a compound annual growth rate of 23.41%, although it should be noted that 2025 represented partial database coverage. In the context of full counting, Colombia accounted for 243 country participations (59.85%) and 1,794 associated citations (49.60%). At the document level, 72 of the 326 unique documents (22.09%) included affiliations from a minimum of two countries. Spain had the second-largest share of country participations (6.90%), while the United Kingdom accounted for 5.42% of participations and 8.52% of associated citations. The publication journals encompassed peace and conflict studies, psychology, public health, law, history, and political science; a directed journal citation network identified four citation communities. It was evident that prominent authors demonstrated comparable levels of productivity, with each individual producing three documents. However, a notable disparity emerged in terms of their citation impact and collaborative roles. The preponderance of diminutive author collectives signifies a fractured collaborative framework. The field has expanded overall, yet it remains nationally anchored and structurally fragmented. The findings support the development of interconnected research agendas and future analyses that directly assess geographic and thematic coverage relevant to memory, reparation, and peacebuilding.