| Abstract: |
This systematic review and meta-analysis examines scholarly communication patterns in doctoral dissertations from agricultural institutions, specifically analyzing citation patterns, source preferences, and knowledge dissemination trends. The research synthesizes findings from 45 empirical studies published between 2010 and 2024, investigating how doctoral candidates in agricultural disciplines utilize scholarly resources. Through rigorous quantitative and qualitative analysis, we identified prominent citation practices, disciplinary variations in information-seeking behavior, and the evolving role of digital resources in agricultural research. Findings reveal that journal articles constitute 62% of citations in agricultural dissertations, with significant regional variations in source accessibility and utilization patterns. The meta-analysis demonstrates that citation patterns differ substantially between crop science, animal science, and agricultural economics subfields, with implications for information literacy instruction and research support services. This review contributes to understanding scholarly communication ecosystem in agricultural higher education, informing strategies for enhancing research infrastructure and academic library services. Our findings underscore the importance of discipline-specific information resource management and the need for targeted interventions to improve research access in developing regions. The study provides evidence-based recommendations for academic libraries, dissertation advisors, and institutional research administrators seeking to optimize scholarly communication support in agricultural education. |
