Exploring Social Forestry Research Trends in Indonesia: A Scientometric Analysis Using CiteSpace

Social forestry in Indonesia is a topic that has been extensively researched due to the active role of communities, especially those living in and around forest areas, in managing the country's forest resources. This is supported by various regulations that provide certainty regarding the rights and access of communities in forest management activities. However, systematic and quantitative research related to the development of social forestry research in Indonesia has not been widely conducted. Therefore, this study was conducted using a scientometric analysis using 1,662 articles from Web of Science. Data analysis was performed using CiteSpace to (i) examine the publication landscape to present the actual condition of scholarly output on social forestry; (ii) map patterns of collaboration to capture the relationships among researchers and institutions; (iii) identify fundamental and pioneering studies; and (iv) trace the evolution, hotspots, and emerging research trends. This research found that the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) got the first rank in the institutional collaboration. In the author collaboration analysis, Ahmad Maryudi has the highest ranked of social forestry topic in Indonesia. The results of the study also show several keywords that are most frequently used by various researchers, namely conservation, management, forest, biodiversity, and community. Overall, this research results would help the new researchers quickly understand developments in social forestry research and fill the existing gaps. Moreover, senior researchers and policymakers can use the integrated research trend information to develop adaptive and inclusive social forestry models that provide ecological and economic benefits. © 2025 by the authors.