A Bibliometric Analysis of Scientific Publications at Universiti Malaysia Sabah
https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.asci4189
Keywords:
Bibliometric analysis, Scientific publications, Scopus, Universiti Malaysia Sabah
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Abstract
This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of scientific publications associated with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) from 1994 to 2024, tracing the university’s research progression over three decades. Using data extracted from the Scopus database, the study analyzes 9,217 publications by document type, open access (OA) status, and author keywords across three distinct decades using tools like Power Query, Microsoft Excel 365, and VOSviewer version 1.6.20. Findings reveal a steady increase in scientific publication productivity, with journal articles dominating output and OA publishing experiencing a significant surge in recent years. The keyword analysis reveals a consistent emphasis on local issues, particularly those related to Sabah and oil palm, and also reflects the university’s increasing engagement with emerging global themes such as COVID-19, machine learning, and deep learning. This study offers the first comprehensive, cross-disciplinary bibliometric analysis of UMS publications, uniquely highlighting the university’s growing engagement with open access publishing. The findings offer valuable guidance for future policy decisions, particularly in enhancing publication funding, promoting balanced growth across disciplines, and advancing open science initiatives.
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References
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Daimary, N. (2024). Research output of Tezpur University, during 1995–2023: A bibliometric analysis using Web of Science. Annals of Library and Information Studies, 71(2), 172–179.
Galán-Valdivieso, F., Alonso-Cañadas, J., Saraite-Sariene, L., & Caba-Perez, C. (2024). Green Public Procurement in open access and traditional journals: A comparative bibliometric analysis. Journal of Public Procurement, 24(1), 91–113.
Hauss, K. (2021). What are the social and scientific benefits of participating at academic conferences? Insights from a survey among doctoral students and postdocs in Germany. Research Evaluation, 30(1), 1–12.
Huang, C. K., Neylon, C., Montgomery, L., Hosking, R., Diprose, J. P., Handcock, R. N., & Wilson, K. (2024). Open access research outputs receive more diverse citations. Scientometrics, 129(2), 825–845.
Indarta, Y., Watrianthos, R., & Samala, A. D. (2023). Research growth of Engineering Faculty Universitas Negeri Padang: A bibliometric study of journal. Journal of Systems Engineering and Information Technology (JOSEIT), 2(1), 16–24.
Ismail, M. I., Napiah, M. K. M., Saad, S. R. M., Jaafar, C. R. C., Azmi, N. A., Ahmad, R., Basri, J. H., Ahmat, M. A., Sultan, A. B. A. A. A., Jasni, F. A., Khairuddin, N. A., & Al-Munawar, F. N. A. (2017). Open access publication of Universiti Sains Malaysia: A bibliometric analysis. Presented at International Conference on Libraries (ICOL), Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, 2–3 August 2017.
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Rahlin, N. A., Suriawaty, A., Bahkiar Bahkiar, S. A., Turan, S., & Fauzi, S. N. A. (2023). Global crucial risk factors associated with stress among university students during post-COVID-19 pandemic: Empirical evidence from an Asian country. In Artificial Intelligence and Transforming Digital Marketing (pp. 315–327). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
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Rashid, R. A., Talib, H., & Lian, J. C. K. (2024). Assessing the tourism potentials of Kota Marudu and its surrounding villages, Sabah, Malaysia. Journal of Sustainability Science and Management, 19(12), 74–86.
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Sarjidan, M. A. M., & Kasim, A. M. (2023). Trends of academic publications: A case study of Malaysian research universities. Journal of Research Management and Governance, 5(1), 18–29.
Sharif, S. M., Mohamad Selamat, I. A., & Gobilik, J. (2017). Students' empowerment in campus sustainability through art installation project. Journal of BIMP-EAGA Regional Development, 3(1), 64–77.
Sidik, S. M., Shukor, N. A., Jusoh, Y. Y. M., Ariffin, M., & Hashim, H. H. A. (2022). Malaysian academic publication performance during the COVID-19 pandemic: A bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 11(3), 1106–1115.
Sijie, L., Sia, F., Alfred, R., & Moung, E. G. (2024). Ensemble machine learning method for health insurance premium prediction. In 2024 IEEE International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Engineering and Technology (IICAIET) (pp. 642–646). IEEE.
Ta, G. C., Halim, S. A., Azman, N., Komoo, I., & Mokhtar, M. (2021). Evaluating research performance of research institutes within Malaysian universities: An alternative assessment framework. Tertiary Education and Management, 27(4), 331–349.
Tella, A., & Onyancha, B. (2021). Scholarly publishing experience of postgraduate students in Nigerian universities. Accountability in Research, 28(7), 395–427.
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Utusan Borneo Online. (2024, December 4). UMS terima geran penyelidikan RM6.5 juta. https://www.utusanborneo.com.my/2024/12/04/ums-terima-geran-penyelidikan-rm65-juta
Yusop, A. H. M., Chew, T. H., Sairan, F. M., & Nur, H. (2022). A bibliometric analysis of publications of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, 18(1), 1–18.
Baby, K., & Kumaravel, J. P. S. (2012). Research productivity of Periyar University: A bibliometric analysis. International Research Journal of Library, Information and Archival Studies, 1(1).
Buri, Z., Sipos, C., Szűcs, E., & Máté, D. (2024). Smart and sustainable energy consumption: A bibliometric review and visualization. Energies, 17(13), 3336.
Chai, L. T., Nainar, A., Roslee, R., Wong, W. V. C., & Phua, M. H. (2024). Assessment of immediate and five-year earthquake impacts on river systems in Sabah, Malaysia using multi-temporal satellite imageries. Geoenvironmental Disasters, 11(1), 16.
Chung, J., & Tsay, M. Y. (2015). A bibliometric analysis of the literature on open access in Scopus. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries, 4(4), 821–841.
Daimary, N. (2024). Research output of Tezpur University, during 1995–2023: A bibliometric analysis using Web of Science. Annals of Library and Information Studies, 71(2), 172–179.
Galán-Valdivieso, F., Alonso-Cañadas, J., Saraite-Sariene, L., & Caba-Perez, C. (2024). Green Public Procurement in open access and traditional journals: A comparative bibliometric analysis. Journal of Public Procurement, 24(1), 91–113.
Hauss, K. (2021). What are the social and scientific benefits of participating at academic conferences? Insights from a survey among doctoral students and postdocs in Germany. Research Evaluation, 30(1), 1–12.
Huang, C. K., Neylon, C., Montgomery, L., Hosking, R., Diprose, J. P., Handcock, R. N., & Wilson, K. (2024). Open access research outputs receive more diverse citations. Scientometrics, 129(2), 825–845.
Indarta, Y., Watrianthos, R., & Samala, A. D. (2023). Research growth of Engineering Faculty Universitas Negeri Padang: A bibliometric study of journal. Journal of Systems Engineering and Information Technology (JOSEIT), 2(1), 16–24.
Ismail, M. I., Napiah, M. K. M., Saad, S. R. M., Jaafar, C. R. C., Azmi, N. A., Ahmad, R., Basri, J. H., Ahmat, M. A., Sultan, A. B. A. A. A., Jasni, F. A., Khairuddin, N. A., & Al-Munawar, F. N. A. (2017). Open access publication of Universiti Sains Malaysia: A bibliometric analysis. Presented at International Conference on Libraries (ICOL), Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, 2–3 August 2017.
Jesellton Times. (2023). Living Lab UMS pemangkin inovasi, beri manfaat kepada komuniti dan industri. Jesellton Times. https://jesseltontimes.com/2023/04/06/living-lab-ums-pemangkin-inovasi-beri-manfaat-kepada-komuniti-dan-industri/
Khalli, M. N. M., & Halmi, M. F. A. (2023). Analisis bibliometrik kajian sains sosial di Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) dalam pangkalan data Scopus sehingga tahun 2021. MANU Jurnal Pusat Penataran Ilmu dan Bahasa (PPIB), 34(1), 1–18.
Krishnan, A. R. (2025). Research trends in Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) method: A visual analysis of bibliographic data using the Tableau software. Information Discovery and Delivery, 53(2), 233–247.
Krishnan, A. R., Arumugam, N., Tanakinjal, G. H., Hamid, M. R. A., Krishnan, V., & Pentang, J. T. (2024). Trends in the application of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods for agricultural land suitability assessments: A keyword analysis using bibliographic data. Presented at 2024 IEEE International Conference on Agrosystem Engineering, Technology & Applications (AGRETA), 7 September 2024.
Langham-Putrow, A., Bakker, C., & Riegelman, A. (2021). Is the open access citation advantage real? A systematic review of the citation of open access and subscription-based articles. PLOS ONE, 16(6), e0253129.
Liu, J., Mai, H., Zhao, X., & Zhou, Z. (2025). Business tourism: A bibliometric visualization review (1994–2023). Tourism Review, 80(5), 989–1016.
Logullo, P., de Beyer, J. A., Kirtley, S., Schlüssel, M. M., & Collins, G. S. (2024). Open access journal publication in health and medical research and open science: Benefits, challenges and limitations. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, 29(4), 223–228.
Miguel, S., Tannuri de Oliveira, E. F., & Cabrini Grácio, M. C. (2016). Scientific production on open access: A worldwide bibliometric analysis in the academic and scientific context. Publications, 4(1), 1.
Mujani, W. K., Muttaqin, A., & Khalid, K. A. T. (2014). Historical development of public institutions of higher learning in Malaysia. Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research, 20(12), 2154–2157.
Puspitasari, R., & Drajati, N. A. (2021). Mapping research trends on literacy in Indonesia: A bibliometric analysis using Scopus database. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal), 1–14.
Rahlin, N. A., Suriawaty, A., Bahkiar Bahkiar, S. A., Turan, S., & Fauzi, S. N. A. (2023). Global crucial risk factors associated with stress among university students during post-COVID-19 pandemic: Empirical evidence from an Asian country. In Artificial Intelligence and Transforming Digital Marketing (pp. 315–327). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
Rakib, M. R. M., Clament, C. F. S., Dayang Syazanie, A. E., & Darwana, D. (2020). Investigation on Ganoderma infection in oil palm based on the cultural characteristics and somatic compatibility: A case study in Sandakan, Sabah. ASM Science Journal, 13, 23–29.
Ramesh, M. (2024). Open Access Journals: Enhancing Author Visibility and Impact. Naveen International Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences (NIJMS), 1(2), 20–27.
Rashid, R. A., Talib, H., & Lian, J. C. K. (2024). Assessing the tourism potentials of Kota Marudu and its surrounding villages, Sabah, Malaysia. Journal of Sustainability Science and Management, 19(12), 74–86.
Sabah Kini. (2024, February 9). Penyelidik UMS terima geran penyelidikan PACD RM5.75 juta – Hajiji. https://sabahkini2.org/en/news/5937/penyelidik-ums-terima-geran-penyelidikan-pacd-rm575-juta-hajiji/view
Sabah Media. (2025, May 7). IPMB UMS diiktiraf Pusat Kecemerlangan Pendidikan Tinggi (HiCoE). https://sabahmedia.com/2024/01/12/ipmb-ums-diiktiraf-pusat-kecemerlangan-pendidikan-tinggi-hicoe/
Sabah News Today. (2025, June 11). UMS Perkenal Empat Kluster Perkukuh Ekosistem Penyelidikan dan Inovasi. https://sabahnewstoday.net/ums-perkenal-empat-kluster-perkukuh-ekosistem-penyelidikan-dan-inovasi/
Sarjidan, M. A. M., & Kasim, A. M. (2023). Trends of academic publications: A case study of Malaysian research universities. Journal of Research Management and Governance, 5(1), 18–29.
Sharif, S. M., Mohamad Selamat, I. A., & Gobilik, J. (2017). Students' empowerment in campus sustainability through art installation project. Journal of BIMP-EAGA Regional Development, 3(1), 64–77.
Sidik, S. M., Shukor, N. A., Jusoh, Y. Y. M., Ariffin, M., & Hashim, H. H. A. (2022). Malaysian academic publication performance during the COVID-19 pandemic: A bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 11(3), 1106–1115.
Sijie, L., Sia, F., Alfred, R., & Moung, E. G. (2024). Ensemble machine learning method for health insurance premium prediction. In 2024 IEEE International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Engineering and Technology (IICAIET) (pp. 642–646). IEEE.
Ta, G. C., Halim, S. A., Azman, N., Komoo, I., & Mokhtar, M. (2021). Evaluating research performance of research institutes within Malaysian universities: An alternative assessment framework. Tertiary Education and Management, 27(4), 331–349.
Tella, A., & Onyancha, B. (2021). Scholarly publishing experience of postgraduate students in Nigerian universities. Accountability in Research, 28(7), 395–427.
Ulaganathan, T. A. L. R., Moung, E. G., Farzamnia, A., Yahya, F., Sze, F. S. F., & Hung, L. P. (2023). Online conversation-based social engineering detection using machine learning. In National Technical Seminar on Unmanned System Technology (pp. 193–208). Springer Nature Singapore.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah. (2024, December 18). Setinggi-tinggi Tahniah kepada Penerima Dana Geran Penyelidikan Program Padanan Industri (IMaP) Fasa 2 Tahun 2024 UMS. https://www.ums.edu.my/v5/ms/announcement-link-3/16254-setinggi-tinggi-tahniah-kepada-penerima-dana-geran-penyelidikan-program-padanan-industri-imap-fasa-2-tahun-2024-ums
Universiti Malaysia Sabah. (2025, June 19). Congratulations Universiti Malaysia Sabah On Its Achievement In QS World University Rankings 2026. https://www.ums.edu.my/v5/ms/announcement-link-3/17269-congratulations-universiti-malaysia-sabah-on-it-s-achievement-in-qs-world-university-rankings-2026
Utusan Borneo Online. (2020, August 5). UMS sedia dana RM7.6 juta geran pemulihan impak COVID-19. https://www.utusanborneo.com.my/2020/08/05/ums-sedia-dana-rm76-juta-geran-pemulihan-impak-covid-19
Utusan Borneo Online. (2024, December 4). UMS terima geran penyelidikan RM6.5 juta. https://www.utusanborneo.com.my/2024/12/04/ums-terima-geran-penyelidikan-rm65-juta
Yusop, A. H. M., Chew, T. H., Sairan, F. M., & Nur, H. (2022). A bibliometric analysis of publications of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, 18(1), 1–18.
Published
2025-08-31
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How to Cite
Krishnan, A. R., Hamid, R., Tanakinjal, G. H., Bahri, S., & Arumugam, N. (2025). A Bibliometric Analysis of Scientific Publications at Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Journal of Applied Science, Engineering, Technology, and Education, 7(2), 326-336. https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.asci4189
Copyright (c) 2025 Anath Rau Krishnan, Rizal Hamid, Geoffrey Harvey Tanakinjal, Saiful Bahri, Nalini Arumugam (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
