Sibling Relationships in Childhood and Adolescence: A Bibliometric Analysis of Web of Science Publications
Child Indicators Research, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s12187-026-10429-9
- Dergi Adı: Child Indicators Research
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, Psycinfo, Social Science Premium Collection (ProQuest), Education Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Adolescence, Bibliometric analysis, Childhood, Sibling relationships
- İnönü Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Sibling relationships constitute an important developmental context; however, research on these relationships remains underrepresented compared with research on parent–child and peer relationships and is dispersed across different disciplines. Therefore, a field-level examination is needed to identify the intellectual structure, dominant themes, and research gaps in this literature. This study conducted a Web of Science–based bibliometric analysis of research on sibling relationships during childhood and adolescence. A systematic search of the Web of Science Core Collection identified 1,629 publications published between 1980 and 2025. Performance analyses were conducted using the Bibliometrix package to examine publication and citation trends, journal performance, author productivity according to Lotka’s Law, influential publications, and trend topics. Science-mapping analyses were conducted using VOSviewer to examine co-word patterns and international collaboration networks. The findings showed a marked increase in scholarly output after 2005 and a concentration of research in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Highly cited publications primarily focused on sibling relationship quality, family-system processes, developmental patterns, and child and adolescent adjustment. Co-word analysis identified six major thematic clusters: developmental and individual differences; sibling experiences in families of children with disabilities; psychological well-being and mental health; relationship quality and parenting; protection and traumatic experiences; and social support and adjustment. Recent trend topics included relationship quality, emotion regulation, mental health, COVID-19, sibling bullying, and autism. Despite substantial growth, the Web of Science–indexed literature remains geographically concentrated and provides limited representation of diverse cultural contexts. Future research should prioritize culturally sensitive comparative studies, longitudinal and mixed-methods designs, and broader database coverage. Overall, sibling relationships represent a multidimensional developmental context with important implications for social-emotional functioning, resilience, and family-system dynamics.