Global Trends in Crime Prevention Research: A Bibliometric Analysis of Authorship and Regional Representation

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to analyze global authorship patterns, institutional affiliations, funding support, and international collaborations in the field of crime prevention research from 2005 to 2024. The objective was to identify the most prolific contributors, examine regional disparities, and visualize global scholarly networks. Study Design:  A descriptive bibliometric study. Place and Duration of Study: School of Criminal Justice Education, J.H. Cerilles State College (JHCSC) and Northwestern Mindanao State College of Science and Technology (NMSCST), between January and April 2025. Methodology: A total of 3,563 records were retrieved from the Scopus database using the keywords “Crime Prevention” OR “Crime Prevention Strategies*.” After applying inclusion criteria—limiting by subject area, document type, language, and manual relevance screening—a final dataset of 656 publications from 2005 to 2024 was analyzed. VOSviewer (v1.6.20) was used to generate co-authorship maps, overlay visualizations, and density plots. Citation counts, country-level contributions, collaboration clusters, and top funding agencies were also examined. Results: Journal articles comprised the majority (68.81%) of documents. The annual publication output increased steadily, peaking in 2024 with 76 publications. The United States and the United Kingdom were the most prolific countries, with strong international linkages. A total of 26 countries formed 7 collaboration clusters with 52 total links. Emerging contributors such as India, Nigeria, and Colombia were identified through overlay mapping. Top funding sponsors included NIH (USA), the European Commission, and the Australian Research Council. However, significant disparities in research participation and funding were observed between high-income and low-to-middle-income countries. Conclusion: The global landscape of crime prevention research is expanding but remains uneven. Strategic investments in inclusive collaboration and research capacity-building are essential to democratize knowledge production and ensure contextually responsive crime prevention strategies worldwide.