Bibliometric Analysis of Disaster Volunteers Using Vosviewer And Biblioshiny With Data From Scopus And Web of Science

Disasters, characterized by their suddenness, unpredictability, and chaos, often overwhelm official aid teams, making it difficult for them to respond adequately or reach affected areas promptly. At such critical moments, disaster volunteers (DVs) play a vital role by quickly arriving at disaster zones and addressing essential needs. Therefore, raising awareness and conducting more studies on disaster volunteering is crucial. This study provides a bibliometric and visualization analysis of 752 studies retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus databases in September 2024, covering the years 1989–2024. The analysis, performed using VOSviewer and Bibliometric R-tool software, aims to present the current status and trends in disaster volunteering research. Key aspects explored include annual publication performance, leading authors, institutions, countries, publication types, and research fields. Coauthorship, co-citation, and co-occurrence analyses highlight collaborative efforts and emerging topics in this field. Findings indicate that disaster volunteering is a growing area of research, with new publications increasing by approximately 12% annually. While studies in this field began in 1989, there has been a significant rise in output since 2012, predominantly in the social sciences. Frequently used keywords include "disaster," "volunteering," "disaster management," and "emergency management." Based on the results, it is anticipated that promoting disaster volunteering, enhancing community-based disaster management, improving the coordination and sustainability of volunteers, and increasing the effectiveness of spontaneous volunteers will help reduce the loss of life and property during disasters. These efforts are expected to significantly contribute to the success of disaster management processes.