Debian in the Research Software Ecosystem: A Bibliometric Analysis

TL;DR

This paper conducts a bibliometric analysis of academic publications related to Debian, mapping research trends, identifying key contributors, and providing insights into its role in the research software ecosystem.

Contribution

It offers a comprehensive bibliometric mapping of Debian's presence in scholarly literature, highlighting research trends and opportunities for future exploration.

Findings

Identifies key research areas involving Debian.

Maps active countries and researchers in Debian studies.

Highlights influential publications and conferences.

Abstract

Context: The Debian system has historically participated in academic works and scientific projects, with well-known examples including NeuroDebian, Debian Med, Debsources, Debian Science, and Debian GIS, where the scientific relevance of Debian and its contribution to the Research Software ecosystem are evident. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the Debian system through academic publications, with the aim of classifying articles, mapping research, identifying trends, and finding opportunities. Method: The study is based on a bibliometric analysis starting with an initial search for the term "Debian" in the titles, abstracts, or keywords of academic publications, using the Scopus database. This analysis calculates metrics of co-citation, co-authorship, and word co-occurrence, and is guided by a set of research questions and criteria for inclusion and exclusion to conduct the bibliometric analysis. Results: The study includes a set of articles published across various fields of knowledge, providing a map of the academic publication space about Debian. The study's data will be available in a public repository, reporting demographic and bibliometric trends, including the most cited articles, active countries, researchers, and popular conferences. Conclusion: Results includes a bibliometric and demographic analysis identified in publications about Debian, shedding light on the intellectual structure of academic research. The results of the analyses can help researchers gain an overview of existing trends in publications about Debian and identify areas that require more attention from the scientific community.