The Hidden Impact of Italian Forestry Research: A Bibliometric Journey
Exploring how Italian forestry journals measure up in the global scientific landscape through comprehensive citation analysis
More Than Just Trees: Measuring Scientific Impact
Imagine standing in a dense, beautiful Italian forest. The tranquility masks a hive of scientific activity underneath—researchers are studying these ecosystems, asking critical questions about their health, management, and future. But how does this scientific work translate into real-world impact? How do we measure the influence of research that helps shape sustainable forestry practices? This is where the fascinating world of bibliometrics comes into play—the science of science itself.
In Italy, a country with rich forest resources and a long tradition of forestry research, scientists have undertaken an intriguing investigation: not of forests themselves, but of the scientific journals that communicate these vital findings. A comprehensive analysis of Italian peer-reviewed forestry journals reveals a dynamic landscape where traditional knowledge meets modern scientific evaluation, creating a compelling story about how research makes its mark on the world 1 .
Italian forests are living laboratories for scientific research
Understanding Bibliometrics: The Science of Measuring Science
Bibliometrics employs statistical methods to analyze publications, providing quantitative insights into the impact of scientific research. At its core is citation analysis—the practice of tracking how often research papers are referenced by other scientists 1 . When one researcher cites another's work, it represents a building block in our collective scientific knowledge.
Think of citations as academic compliments—each one says: "This research was important enough to build upon." The more a paper is cited, the greater its influence on subsequent research, and by extension, the broader its contribution to advancing the field.
Citation Count
The raw number of times a paper is cited
h-index
Measures both productivity and citation impact
Impact Factor
Average number of citations per paper
These tools help researchers, institutions, and funding bodies understand which studies are driving forestry science forward.
The Italian Forestry Journal Landscape: A Diverse Ecosystem
Italy's forestry research community is served by several peer-reviewed journals, each with its distinct character and audience. Like different tree species occupying various ecological niches, these journals fulfill complementary roles in the scientific ecosystem:
Annals of Silvicultural Research
Published by the CREA Research Centre for Forestry and Wood, this English-language journal publishes scientific papers, reviews, international project reports, and notes on all aspects of silviculture 1 .
L'Italia Forestale e Montana
This scientific journal from the Italian Academy of Forest Sciences contains scientific papers and reviews, technical notes, letters, opinions, news, and book reviews across all forest science fields, including policy and economics 1 .
Sherwood and Dendronatura
These technical journals bridge the gap between research and practice. Sherwood is curated by a private publisher, while Dendronatura is managed by the Association of Foresters of Trento 1 .
Italian Forestry Journals at a Glance
The Benchmarking Experiment: A Five-Year Assessment
In 2019, a team of Italian researchers undertook a systematic analysis to evaluate and compare the bibliometric impact of these peer-reviewed forestry journals 1 . This collaborative effort brought together experts from multiple institutions to create a comprehensive picture of how Italian forestry research was performing on the scientific stage.
Methodology: Tracking Citations Across Databases
The research team designed their study to capture a robust snapshot of journal performance during the five-year period from 2014 to 2018. Their approach was meticulous:
Journal Selection
They identified six major Italian peer-reviewed journals in the forestry sector, ensuring representation across different publisher types, languages, and target audiences 1 .
Data Collection
Rather than relying on a single source, the team gathered citation data from both Google Scholar and Scopus 1 . This dual-track approach provided complementary perspectives.
Indicator Calculation
They computed average citation rates per article for each journal, allowing for fair comparison despite different publication volumes across the titles.
Comparative Analysis
The team analyzed patterns across journals, examining how factors like publication language and journal scope influenced impact metrics.
Google Scholar
Broad coverage capturing a wider range of document types
Scopus
Curated database offering quality-controlled metrics
Key Findings and What They Mean: Beyond the Numbers
The analysis revealed that Italian forestry journals collectively demonstrate solid scientific impact, with open access journals averaging 2-4 citations per article on Google Scholar regardless of publication language 3 . This finding challenges the conventional wisdom that only English-language publications achieve significant reach in the scientific community.
Citation Impact of Italian Forestry Journals (2014-2018)
Open Access Advantage
Journals adopting open access models demonstrated strong visibility and impact, especially in economically disadvantaged regions 2 .
International Reach
The English-language journal iForest showed an expanding international contributor base and readership 2 .
National Journal Challenge
Forest@ experienced a progressive decline in manuscript submissions, reflecting pressure to publish in internationally-indexed journals 2 .
Significant Contribution
The study confirmed the substantial contribution of Italian researchers to global forestry science. Italian researchers are well-represented in the worldwide top 2% most influential scientists bibliometrically 3 .
The Researcher's Toolkit: Essential Bibliometric Resources
Bibliometric analysis relies on specialized tools and databases that track scholarly publications and their relationships. For forestry researchers seeking to understand their impact, several key resources have become essential:
Scopus
A curated abstract and citation database that includes peer-reviewed literature across multiple disciplines. Its selective coverage emphasizes quality, making it a standard for formal research assessment exercises 1 .
Google Scholar
A broader academic search engine that indexes a wide variety of document types across multiple languages. Its comprehensive coverage makes it valuable for capturing citations that might be missed by selective databases 1 .
Web of Science
One of the oldest and most prestigious citation indexes, particularly valued for its Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index 1 .
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
A community-curated online directory that indexes and provides access to high-quality, open access, peer-reviewed journals, including SISEF publications 2 .
These tools collectively enable the tracking of scientific influence across global research communities, providing the data necessary for studies like the 2019 analysis of Italian forestry journals.
The Future of Italian Forestry Research: Challenges and Opportunities
Despite the solid performance revealed by bibliometric analysis, Italian forestry research faces evolving challenges. There's a concerning relative marginalization of silvicultural themes—less than 10% of articles published worldwide in "Forestry" directly address silviculture using related terms in titles, abstracts, or keywords 3 . This pattern is somewhat reflected in Italian journals as well, with less than a quarter of the most cited articles in Annals of Silvicultural Research directly treating silvicultural aspects 3 .
Balancing Act
Finding the right equilibrium between international visibility (English) and practical relevance to local forest managers (Italian).
Open Access Evolution
Maintaining sustainable open access models without resorting to article processing charges that might disadvantage researchers with limited funding 2 .
Digital Transformation
Adapting to new technologies including semantic web capabilities and artificial intelligence that are transforming scientific publishing 2 .
The health of these scientific communication channels matters profoundly because, as the editors of Forest@ note, Italian-language journals serve as a "useful transmission belt between the world of research and that of application" 2 . They translate complex research findings into actionable knowledge for forest managers, policymakers, and practitioners.
Conclusion: A Growing Forest of Knowledge
The bibliometric analysis of Italian forestry journals reveals a robust and internationally respected research community making significant contributions to global forest science. These journals form an interconnected ecosystem serving diverse audiences—from international academics to local forest technicians.
The 2019 assessment provides more than just numbers and rankings; it offers a snapshot of a dynamic scholarly community communicating its findings through multiple channels tailored to different audiences. The solid citation impact measured across these publications, particularly for open access journals, demonstrates the vitality of Italian forestry research and its relevance to both global scientific discourse and local forest management practices.
As these journals continue to evolve amid changing technologies, economic models, and research priorities, their fundamental mission remains: to promote the "dissemination and sharing of knowledge and scientific discoveries" 2 that will help society steward our precious forest resources for generations to come.
The continuous growth of forestry knowledge benefits both science and practice