1 Introduction

Researchers have recently prioritized the environment and sustainability due to the significance and widespread distribution of the UN's 2015 SDG report. Despite scientific and technical innovations, human beings are completely dependent on everything, like nature, shelter, water, air, food, and energy, to stay healthy. Environmental science is a multidisciplinary field and discourses on how humans interact with nature’s living and nonliving objects. It deals with biology, chemistry, geology, climate, economics, humanities, philosophy, and social science. The primary goals of environmental science research are to discover how life on Earth survives, to comprehend how humans can interact with nature, to find solutions to problems, and to ensure sustainability. Ecology, organisms, species, ecosystems, and environmentalism through sustainable living are some of the most essential parts of the domain (Miller & Spoolman, 2013) [21].

For almost a century, ecosystems have been deteriorating and are under high threat. Researchers worldwide are advocating for the preservation, conservation, and development of sustainable actions to save the environment through various research and case studies of different countries. Environmental issues are challenging to resolve as there are uncertainties about scientific activities, and it takes longer to overcome environmental effects (Balint) [7]. As a direct result of the research and discoveries generated via publishing in this sector, the world gained a greater understanding of the issue and evidence-based solutions. Academicians, scientists, and researchers play an essential role in safeguarding the future generation by advocating policies, regulations, and action.

While numerous journals contribute to environmental research, this study focuses on ESPR, a prominent publication in the field. ESPR has played a pivotal role in advancing environmental science discourse for nearly three decades, addressing critical issues ranging from climate change to pollution mitigation. The choice to examine ESPR specifically stems from its longstanding influence and comprehensive coverage of environmental topics. Bibliometric and altmetric analyses serve as valuable tools in this endeavour, allowing for a comprehensive evaluation of ESPR's influence over its three-decade history. By examining publication trends, citation patterns, and online engagement with ESPR articles, we aim to gain insights into the journal's reach and significance within the scientific community. This approach not only provides valuable information for researchers and policymakers but also underscores the importance of rigorous impact assessment methodologies in the field of environmental science.

As of 2022, ESPR has an impact factor of 5.8 and a 5-year impact factor of 5.4. The impact factor of 5.8 for the year 2022 reflects the average number of citations received by articles published in ESPR in the previous two years, while the 5-year impact factor of 5.4 represents the average citations over the past five years. These metrics underscore ESPR's significance and influence in the field of environmental science and pollution research. According to Scimago Journal & Country Rank 2024, Environmental Science and Pollution Research (ESPR) has an h-index of 179. This indicates that there are at least 179 papers published in ESPR that have each received at least 179 citations. The h-index reflects the impact and productivity of the journal, signifying the number of highly cited papers within its publication history. Each paper cited in ESPR has been referenced by at least 179 other papers, underscoring the journal’s influence within the scientific community (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, n.d.) [14]. The editorial board may consider publishing a special anniversary issue to celebrate the thirty glorious years of ESPR that may include some classic papers published in the history of ESPR.

2 Literature review

The method of bibliometric analysis of the statistical information of the publication has gained enormous popularity in the field of scientific research. The method helps analyze large volumes of statistical data into various summaries. It helps discover emerging trends in scholarly publication, performance, collaboration patterns, and research constituents of published materials. The first bibliometric analysis was conducted in early 1950 (Donthu et al.) [13].

Researchers are actively promoting their datasets and research via various social media networks. It enables them to have conversations on a variety of subjects. It increases people's knowledge of their magazine, much like social media enables people to connect on various platforms. According to a recent survey, academics increasingly turn to social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook as viable sites to disseminate information about their work and encourage participation. Twitter, the second most extensive social media network for microblogging, has become a popular site for promoting scientific articles (Appel et al., 2020) [4].

Academic productivity has been steadily increasing all around the globe. The impact factor of the document is used to scale the relevance of the published document, and it can be measured using the document's citations. The reliability of article citations is doubtful and has consequences, such as the slow process of determining which articles are genuinely influential. Because of the considerable amount of time that must pass before the relevance of the articles can be determined, an alternative metric scale, such as Altmetric, is necessary (Warren et al.) [32].

It was in the year 2010 that Jason Priem originally introduced the word “altmetrics” (Priem) [24]. Since then, it has become an increasingly popular method for measuring the real-time reach and impact of academic publications.

It has achieved widespread usage to identify previously unknown and unreported academic impact measures of research, and its use has caused it to get widespread attention. The scores of alternative metrics are essential because they supplement conventional metrics and indicators (Bornmann and Haunschild) [10].

Analysis of bibliographic data for various topics is a prevalent technique often carried out on databases, journals, and themes. A significant number of bibliometric studies have been conducted to determine the patterns of research articles found in general journals. Future research was emphasized based on the study on ‘Journal of Intellectual Capital’ (Dabić et al.) [11], the 50 years publication journey of European Management Journal was analyzed using a bibliometric study (Martínez-López et al.) [20] through the exploration of forty years of publication history of the European Journal of Operational Research (Laengle et al.) [19]—all these were few examples of the bibliometric study of complete journals. Altmetric studies are also becoming popular nowadays; ‘Retina’ related top 100 articles were analyzed using an altmetric study and scores of social media impact (Sener and Polat) [26]; in a similar study, the top 100 most cited media-related articles were analyzed using altmetric scores (Moon et al.) [22].

Based on the scientific literature analysis and analyzing the gaps in previous research, the researchers concluded that no other studies comparable to this one had been conducted. This article provides an in-depth and comprehensive study of the journal ESPR over the past 29 years and suggests potential research topics for the upcoming years. For a good number of years to come, this study will be able to inspire future authors and spur research that leads to important discoveries.

3 Methodology

This study adheres to a well-defined methodological framework in bibliometrics, as outlined by as outlined by Donthu et al. [13]. By following this structured approach, the research ensures a systematic and rigorous methodology. The methodological framework is presented in Fig. 1, which is introduced and discussed in the subsequent sections.

Fig. 1
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The Research Design [based on (Donthu et al.)] [13]

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3.1 Research design

In this research, a quantitative approach was employed to investigate the altmetric and bibliometric trends of the ESPR Journal over twenty-nine years. The study aimed to collect, analyze, and visualize relevant data to gain insights into the journal's impact and influence within the scientific community.

To guide the design of this study, inspiration was drawn from the pioneering work of Priem, Piwowar, and Hemminger (Priem et al.) [25], who introduced altmetric as a novel method for assessing the online attention garnered by scholarly articles.

3.2 Data collection

To ensure the robustness of our study, we implemented rigorous data collection procedures, drawing from established academic databases. The reliability and credibility of the literature data source are fundamental aspects of altmetric and bibliometric analysis. This study collected altmetric data such as the highest altmetric attention score, Mendeley readers, tweeters, and Facebook wall links, among others, from the Altmetric Explorer and Google Colab using Python Script. This altmetric analysis provided comprehensive insights into the online popularity and dissemination of academic articles, adhering to the optimal practices proposed by Priem, Piwowar, and Hemminger for evaluating the social impact of scholarly publications. Similarly, bibliometric data, including article titles, authors, publication years, citation counts, and affiliations, was sourced from the reputed Scopus database.

The researchers have ensured the quality and standard protocols of bibliographical information while extracting data. By leveraging the respected database and its new platforms, we aimed to establish a strong foundation for our study. Moreover, to guide our bibliometric analysis methodology, we referred to the articles by (Aria and Cuccurullo) [5] and (Donthu et al.) [13], which bespeaks a comprehensive overview of bibliometric analysis and application of different methods review research. These articles also offer valuable insights and a handful of guidelines for conducting bibliometric studies, contributing to the methodological rigor of our research.

The data downloaded process was carried out in June 2023, and in total 38,790 had been published in ESPR between the year 1994 until December 2022. The study employed a bibliometric approach, utilizing quantitative techniques to analyze bibliometric data sourced primarily from the Scopus abstract and citation database. It is important to note that accessing the total published list from this source requires academic subscription access from Elsevier. For generating the retrospective data, we used the following search strategy and we used two other advanced search strategies to ensure the accuracy and validity of our data.

SRCTITLE(“Environmental Science and Pollution Research”).

SOURCE-ID (23918)

(ISSN(“0944–1344”) OR ISSN(“1614–7499”))

In order to achieve the objectives of this research, we refined the data by excluding the total list of articles published in 2023. After limiting the search results, we found 32,961 titles for the final analysis. The final results were then exported by selecting “Citation Information,” “Bibliographical Information”, and “Abstracts and Keywords” in BibTex format. Due to voluminous data, we prepared three different BibTex files and merged them using the Texmaker (version 5.1.4) cross-platform LaTex editor software. Duplicate entries were removed, and the final BibTex file provided comprised of 32,632 records that provided detailed information on each published article’s characteristics, enabling authors to conduct a quantitative analysis using R 4.3.1 Software’s bibliometrix package and its Biblioshiny web interface (Abafe et al. [1]; Zupic and Čater) [35].

3.3 Data analysis

The present study used two different tools to achieve its objective:

3.3.1 Altmetric analysis

We conducted a detailed analysis of the altmetric data to examine the online presence and visibility of ESPR articles. This involved calculating various altmetric indicators, including the total number of mentions, shares on social media platforms, and downloads.

3.3.2 Bibliometric analysis

This study focuses solely on critical aspects of the bibliometric analysis of a specific journal. Based on the literature study and research gap, it has been found that bibliometric study on the individual source or publication title has been carried out in various prestigious journals, and the current studies have applied the same analysis methods to evaluate the publication impact of ESPR. This type of in-depth bibliometric analysis provided an in-depth understanding of the journal's evolution and status in the academic community. To evaluate the bibliometric features of the prestigious ESPR Journal, we conducted a thorough bibliometric analysis in R-Studio version 4.3.1 using the open-source Biblioshiny package. We examined important bibliometrics indicators such as citation patterns, co-authorship trends, affiliations, trends topics, and country-level analysis using Biblioshiny software to achieve our primary goal.

In conclusion, this bibliometric analysis offered an in-depth view of the ESPR's development over a while and its current position within the academic community, offering helpful recommendations for enhancing its scholarly impact and promoting continued growth in the ever-evolving research landscape.

4 Research result and discussion

The journal started its first publication in the year 1994, and a total of 32,632 documents have been published as of 31 December 2022. This includes Research Articles, Reviews, Conference Papers, Letters, Short Surveys, Editorials and Notes.

The illustrious history of the ESPR Journal is depicted in Fig. 2, and its significance is succinctly summarized in Table 1. ESPR has published an impressive total of 32,632 documents from 1994 to 2022; this encompasses research articles, conference papers, editorials, reviews, and other scholarly contributions. This vast and diverse collection reflects the journal's unwavering commitment to disseminating cutting-edge research findings within the scientific community. Notably, the annual growth rate of ESPR stands at an impressive 17.98%, underscoring its increasing significance and impact within the scientific realm.

Fig. 2
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Summary—Twenty-Nine Years’ Publications of ESPR

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Table 1 Publication data information
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Furthermore, the average age of documents within the journal is 4.72 years, and each publication receives an average of 18.43 citations, highlighting the timeliness and influence of the research output of ESPR. ESPR's broad coverage across a wide range of subjects is evident from the usage of 27,071 Keywords Plus (ID) and 68,884 instances of Author's Keywords throughout its publications. This showcases the depth and diversity of topics addressed within this esteemed journal. ESPR fosters a collaborative environment, with an average of 5.14 collaborative authors per publication and a 27.71% international co-authorship. This data supports the conclusion that ESPR encourages authors to collaborate and engage in fruitful partnerships to advance scientific knowledge.

This distinguished journal curates a comprehensive collection and fosters collaborative research and international cooperation among scholars. ESPR has successfully attracted 68,088 authors who have made valuable contributions to its publications, showcasing the journal's ability to pool a diverse range of expertise. Notably, while a majority of publications involve multiple authors, there exists a minority of single authors, with 734 individuals preferring independent research endeavours. Remarkably, the average number of co-authors per publication stands at 5.14, indicating the extent of collaborative efforts. It is important to note that while this figure suggests multiple authors per document, further investigation is needed to discern the nature of collaboration. For instance, these co-authors may belong to distinct research teams or disciplines, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of research published in ESPR.

Furthermore, international collaboration is a prominent feature, with an average of 27.71 countries represented in co-authored publications. Such extensive international collaboration underscores the journal's role as a platform for fostering global scientific cooperation and addressing pressing environmental challenges through interdisciplinary research endeavours. In a nutshell, the collaborative and international nature of the research published in ESPR enhances the breadth and significance of its contributions to the field.

4.1 Growth of publication

Figure 3 reveals the incremental growth in Total Publications (TP) from 1994 till 2022. Interestingly, in the first few years of publication, ESPR primarily published in two digits 65 to 75 articles from 1994 until 2006. In the first 15 years, the journal published 930 papers with an average of 62 papers each year. The profound steep growth in TP was noticed in 2012 (n = 430), a year that experienced a growth of 150 percent in TP as compared to the previous year (n = 172). However, there were occasional declines in publication numbers in certain years. These declines may be attributed to various factors, such as shifts in research focus, changes in editorial policies, or fluctuations in the availability of funding and resources. Despite these fluctuations, the overall trend indicates an identical increase in articles published in the ESPR journal in recent years, highlighting its rising popularity and significance in the field. Factors like technological advancements, heightened awareness of environmental issues, and the journal's well-established reputation and impact are responsible for this astounding increase in publications.

Fig. 3
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Source: Own elaboration based on Scopus data [last accessed on 2023 June 28]

Annual Growth of Publication.

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4.2 Average citation count per year

The average annual citation analysis of the ESPR journal provides valuable information about how frequently published research is cited by peers working in the environment. Hence, it aids us in gaining a deeper comprehension of the journal's influence and significance in environmental science and pollution research.

Table 2 provides insights into the citation trends of ESPR over the years. Initially, from 1994 to the late 1990s, the average citations per year were relatively modest, starting at 0.43 citations per year in 1994 and gradually increasing to 1.04 in 1997. A significant surge in average citations occurred in the early 2000s, with values consistently exceeding 1 and peaking at 2.39 in 2003. Notably, the year 2019 saw the highest average citations per year, with 3.99 citations, while the lowest was recorded in 2022, with 2.60 citations. Despite fluctuations, the journal's average annual citations consistently remained above 2, indicating its enduring impact. These findings shed light on the evolving influence and visibility of ESPR within the scientific community.

Table 2 Average citations per year
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4.3 Three field plot analysis of ESPR journal

The in-depth examination of the three-field network connection plot is essential to elucidate, as it can display three distinct correlations between the elements displayed in the visualization. Figure 4 illustrates the three-field plot, which includes affiliation, country, and author. All three elements are depicted in grey, illustrating the relationship between a single field, beginning with affiliation, country, and top author. The rectangle size in each list indicates the number of articles associated with a particular element. The middle field of the three-field plot is the focus of the analysis.

Fig. 4
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Co-Relations Network between Affiliations, Countries and Authors

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AU_CO represents the country, which indicates that the top country is the focus (the primary concern), associated with the AU_UN as affiliations and AU as authors. The information on the most productive authors, their affiliated organizations and countries, can be obtained using the rectangle sizes for each of the considered components. This graph is generated considering 10 countries, 10 authors, and 10 affiliations. It can be summarized that the most productive affiliations i.e. Uni. of Chinese Academy of Sc., Zhejiang Uni., Chinese Academy of Sciences, and China Uni. of Geosciences are from China and their productive authors are Zhang Y., Wang Y. and Li Y from China only.

4.4 Most prominent documents with most altmetric score

Table 3 presents the top 10 articles with the highest Altmetric scores, along with their respective citation counts. The examination of Altmetric Attention Scores (AAS) alongside citation counts for prominent scholarly articles provides valuable insights into the dynamics of online engagement and academic impact within the scholarly community.

Table 3 Top 10 documents with the highest AAS
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The top-ranking articles, as indicated by their high Altmetric scores, reveal interesting patterns of online attention compared to traditional citation-based metrics. Articles such as that authored by Paul Kay in 2018 exhibit noticeable online visibility, denoted by a notable AAS, alongside moderate citation rates. This phenomenon underscores the significant role of social media platforms and digital dissemination channels in enhancing scholarly visibility, although without matching citation accumulation.

Conversely, articles originating from the years 2015 and 2016 exhibit a diverse pattern. While some show substantial citation rates along with elevated AAS, others demonstrate a noticeable difference between online engagement metrics and scholarly impact. This difference suggests a complex interplay of variables, including thematic relevance and media coverage, in influencing the dissemination and reception of scholarly works.

These observations highlight the importance of integrating conventional citation-based metrics with alternative indicators such as Altmetric scores to provide a comprehensive assessment of research impact in contemporary scholarly environments.

4.5 Distribution of high altmetric score

The altmetric scores are collected through social media sites and research-sharing platforms such as Mendeley, Twitter, Facebook, citation blogs, news feeds, wikis, and gPlus. Figure 5 shows the representation of altmetric scores in each social media platform and found that most Mendeley reference management tools are among the top platforms where research articles were discussed. Twitter stood second among the rest of the platforms.

Fig. 5
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Distribution of Altmetric Score of Top 10 Articles

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4.6 Top 10 highly cited articles and their altmetric score

The list of the top 10 most globally cited articles from the journal ESPR during its 29 years of publication is displayed in Table 4. These articles are considered the most influential publications in ESPR between 1994 and 2022. This table includes the year the articles were published, the total number of citations obtained by the documents, and their altmetric ratings. The first document, published in 2003, which achieved a score of 13 on altmetric, had a maximum of 1599 citations. The item at rank five earned a score of 319 on altmetric, while the article at rank three scored 255. These two articles tied for the highest score out of the ten. The remaining articles have all received an altmetric score lower than 15. This demonstrates that documents with many citations get less attention and discussion on internet platforms.

Table 4 Top 10 documents with highest citation
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4.7 Authors’ production over the period

The illustration in Fig. 6 displays the productivity of the top ten authors over time, regarding the number of articles produced and the total number of citations received per year. The graph's bubbles represent the number of articles each author published. A darker bubble within a specific year indicates the author's peak productivity. According to the graph, the years between 2018 and 2022 were the most productive for most authors.

Fig. 6
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Authors’ Production Over the Period

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4.8 Corresponding author’s country

The research investigation employed the MCP (Multiple Country Publications) and SCP (Single Country Publications) measures to assess the collaborative research dynamics among authors from diverse countries in the context of the ESPR Journal. Figure 7 depicts the primary countries of origin of the corresponding authors and provides insights into the nature of their research collaborations, differentiating between collaborations within the same country and collaborations involving researchers from other countries.

Fig. 7
figure 7

Corresponding Author’s Countries

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The analysis reveals that China and India are the most prolific contributors to the ESPR Journal, with Brazil and Iran following suit. However, the MCP ratio, which signifies collaborations among authors from the same country, remains relatively low for these four countries, ranging from 0.20 to 0.25. Intriguingly, authors from France and Pakistan exhibit a higher propensity for collaboration, as evidenced by their MCP ratios of 0.36 and 0.51, respectively. Overall, these findings underscore the considerable untapped potential for fostering international collaboration among prospective authors of the ESPR Journal.

4.9 Most cited countries

Between 1994 and 2022, research papers published in ESPR originated from 126 countries worldwide. Figure 8 depicts the total number of citations from different countries for the articles published in ESPR.

Fig. 8
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Global Trends of the Most Cited Countries

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China stands out at the top of the list with the highest number of citations, totaling 189,720, and an average citation rate of 16.2 per article. Following closely behind, India demonstrates productivity with 51,568 publications and an average article citation of 19.2. Pakistan and Iran also contribute significantly, with 23,175 and 19,289 publications, respectively. Among the top 10 most productive countries, Germany achieves the highest average citation per publication, reaching an impressive 26.2 against a total of 15,454 citations.

4.10 Affiliation Production Over the Period

Figures 9 and 10 display the primary research entities based on the frequency of published articles from 1994 to 2022.

Fig. 9
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Affiliation Production Over the Period

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Fig. 10
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Prominent Affiliations

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Notably, Zhejiang University (564 publications) and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (535 publications) emerged as the most prominent and consistently influential universities throughout the study period. Additionally, the following institutions demonstrate notable contributions: Kind Saud University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongji University, and China University of Geosciences, among others. The findings indicate that Chinese affiliations have emerged as dominant contributors to research productivity in the Environmental Science and Pollution Research Journal.

We examine the citation network analysis by country with a citation threshold value of 5 and again the top 50 most representative connections. The findings shown in Fig. 11 depict that China is the highest contributor in this journal and has a strong citation network with other countries such as Germany, India, Spain, Italy, France, and many more.

Fig. 11
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Citation Network Analysis

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4.11 Trend topics

Figure 12 presents a visualization where the bubbles and lines represent the noteworthy terms or keywords extensively studied from 1994 to 2022. The size of each bubble reflects the frequency of the term's appearance in publications during that time frame, with more giant bubbles indicating more frequent mentions. Furthermore, the length of the lines connecting the bubbles indicates the duration spent discussing each topic. This visualization provides insights into the prominence and time dedicated to various research areas over the specified period.

Fig. 12
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Trending Topics

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The “China” term had the largest bubble size and became popular after 2018, with 14,935 documents. “environmental monitoring” was the second most popular term in 2016, with 12156 documents. Through a comprehensive examination of the prevailing trends over the past three years, valuable insights can be gleaned regarding the dynamic shifts within academic interests and the subjects that have garnered substantial attention during this period. This analysis facilitates a deeper understanding of the trajectory of scholarly focus, elucidating the specific domains that have emerged as primary subjects of study and research in recent years.

From 2019 to 2022, an analysis of the most frequently employed authors’ terms reveals an array of significant topics, including “animals,” “adsorption,” “humans,” “China,” “carbon emission,” “economic development,” “carbon dioxide,” “policy,” “investment,” and “COVID-19.” This assortment exemplifies the diverse thematic scope that has engendered noteworthy scholarly exploration, underscoring the multidisciplinary nature of contemporary research.

By delving into the trends associated with these critical terms, researchers can ascertain the prominent domains of inquiry and align their investigations with the prevailing academic currents. Moreover, this analytical approach unveils salient societal and global issues, such as environmental concerns, economic development paradigms, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, all of which have assumed significant prominence within the scholarly landscape during the specified timeframe.

4.12 Distribution of major funding agencies

The research documents by funding sponsors reveal several vital observations. Table 5 reveals that China emerges as a prominent player in scientific research, with funding agencies such as the National Natural Science Foundation and the National Key Research and Development Program supporting many projects.

Table 5 Most prominent funding agencies
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Brazil's Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) also demonstrate a commitment to scientific advancement. In the UK, the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities support fundamental research conducted by central universities. European funding agencies contribute to European research initiatives, including the European Commission and the European Regional Development Fund. Portugal's Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) and India's Department of Science and Technology/Ministry of Science and Technology reflect national investment in research and development. These findings highlight the diverse research funding landscape across countries, focusing on specific environmental issues, pollution, and allied disciplines.

4.13 Occurrences of author’s keywords

Figure 13 represents the Author’s Keywords cloud for the articles published in ESPR from 1994 to 2022.

Fig. 13
figure 13

a Author’s Keyword Cloud. b Tree map

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The above visualization Fig. 13a results from analyzing the co-occurrence patterns of author keywords, which serves as a valuable tool for understanding the impact and popularity of specific keywords. Researchers in the future can leverage the usage of highly cited keywords, as they tend to garner rapid global attention compared to less frequently cited ones. Notably, keywords such as “heavy metals,” “adsorption,” and “oxidative stress” emerge as noteworthy focal points within the visualized keyword network. When combined with topics such as the environment, groundwater, bioavailability, and carbon emissions, these terms hold significant potential for unearthing novel insights and establishing new relationships in scientific research.

In Fig. 13b, TreeMap analysis of 50 primary Keyword Plus terms reveals the same prominence of heavy metals, adsorption, and oxidative stress. These terms, extracted from article titles, aid in identifying key concepts and their origins in the SCOPUS database. By incorporating these influential keywords and terms into their studies, researchers can tap into existing knowledge, build upon established research trends, and potentially make meaningful contributions to the field. Furthermore, the analysis of keyword co-occurrence patterns can aid in identifying emerging research directions and highlighting areas where further exploration and investigation are warranted. Therefore, it is recommended that future researchers consider these highly cited keywords and their associations with relevant topics as a starting point for their investigations. Such an approach can facilitate discovering new phenomena, identifying research gaps, and expanding scientific knowledge within their respective domains of study.

4.14 Topic recommendation for future research

To address recommendations for future research, a careful examination of the sub-topic positions on the thematic map becomes essential. The thematic map, alternatively referred to as a strategic map, effectively organizes authors’ keywords into distinct clusters and visually represents their centrality along the X-axis and progression along the Y-axis. Notably, four core clusters emerged throughout the entire study period, with each quadrant occupied by one of the two primary clusters. Figure 14 succinctly portrays the thematic map's composition, encompassing these four primary quadrants.

Fig. 14
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Thematic map of research

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The first quadrant, located in the upper right of the thematic map, comprises highly relevant (centrality) and well-developed (density) motor themes. These research topics, namely “metabolism”, “soil”, and “soil pollutants”, have received the highest total citations, indicating their significance within the knowledge domain. They possess potential as influential areas for future research trends. It is also evident that the upper-right and lower-right quadrants exhibit notable progress. These quadrants emphasize the domains of “Human” and “environmental and monitoring”, which have become pivotal in shaping the research landscape. These areas of study continue to dominate the field and hold substantial significance.

The second quadrant, positioned in the top left of the thematic map, is associated with niche themes characterized by a high degree of density but a relatively low degree of centrality. Within this quadrant, the cluster primarily revolves around animals and toxicity. Notably, research on “animals” and “toxicity” has garnered less attention than studies examining humans and toxicity. The themes within this quadrant exhibit a lower degree of centrality, possibly indicating their emergence as relatively novel areas of inquiry with limited citation impact.

The third quadrant in the lower left of the thematic map represents emerging or declining research topics with limited centrality and density. These include “carbon dioxide”, “economic development”, “carbon emissions”, “air pollutants”, and “China”. The authors argue that these topics are not diminishing; instead, they are gaining prominence as areas of study. Specifically, research on “carbon dioxide” has emerged as a subject of interest in 2021, with China being a focal point.

The fourth quadrant in the lower right of the thematic map represents the primary theme quadrant. It includes research topics of high relevance but limited development. These themes are significant across multiple research areas. Two main clusters are present in this quadrant. The first cluster focuses on chemical and water pollutants with higher relevance and development. The second cluster revolves around “environmental monitoring” and is primarily influenced by the topics of “chemical” and “water pollutants”.

5 Conclusion

In 1994, the first edition of ESPR was published with 19 unique pieces of content. Since then, the number of publications has skyrocketed, and by 2022, ESPR has amassed over 32,632 documents, making it a veritable treasure trove of scholarly resources. This journey has witnessed several outstanding research works in areas related to environmental science and allied subjects, with a particular emphasis on chemical compounds. These contributions have been a tremendous aid in expanding concerns related to the environment and pollution research. In 2024, ESPR had completed three decades of its glorious journey. To celebrate the anniversary and to draw attention to this journal's invaluable service to the academic community, this study analyzed the overall research output through bibliometric and altmetric retrospective analysis.

The study findings demonstrate that ESPR has established its footprint as a leading journal covering cutting-edge research at the intersection of environmental monitoring, chemistry, water pollutants, chemicals, soil pollutants, and metabolism. Unlike other top research journals, ESPR journals consistently grow in the number of publications each decade. Especially after 2014, the journal showed an outstanding performance in its number of publications and annual citation growth. According to the SCOPUS database, 562 papers of ESPR have more than 100 citations. Secondly, more than 39 papers on ESPR have more than 100 altmetric scores. However, the gap between the altmetric scores and the total number of citations is enormous. The article entitled “Eutrophication of freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems: A global problem”, published in 2003, is the most cited article of ESPR. Thirdly,  Figs. 7 and 8 reveals the diversity in the contribution of countries across the globe. The contribution of China is unmatched, whereas the contribution of India and other countries is also remarkable. Fourthly, “Lotfi Aleya”, a Frenchman, tops the list of most prolific authors according to the SCOPUS research database, having authored or co-authored 124 works. The temporal analysis demonstrates the dominance of Chinese institutions throughout all decades.

This work provides a comprehensive synopsis of the publication of ESPR journal with the help of quantity and quality indicators such as incremental growth in the number of articles, citations received by the papers, an overview of the h-index, and altmetric attention score of papers published in the ESPR journal. This first-of-its-kind bibliometric and altmetric study might be helpful for the research community that intends to contribute to environmental science and pollution research areas. This paper can also help journal editors evaluate ESPR’s track record of publishing field studies to inform future directions. Furthermore, the editorial board of this journal may also use this study’s findings to evaluate ESPR’s track record of publishing field studies to guide further directions.