Bulgarian Researchers Struggle to Increase Visibility and Impact in Geography Research

Research conducted by the National Institute of Geophysics has highlighted the difficulties Bulgarian researchers face in increasing the visibility and impact of their geography-related research. Despite attempts to publish high-quality papers in established peer-reviewed journals, Bulgarian researchers in the field of geography struggle to reach a wider audience, hindering their recognition and collaboration opportunities. The study analyzed publicly available data from eight scientometric databases and social media platforms to assess the visibility of Bulgarian geographers.

Key Takeaways:

• Only half of the 116 researchers affiliated with five institutions in Bulgaria had published in internationally indexed journals.
• Institutions and departments in the capital city, Sofia, had significantly higher visibility than those from smaller towns.
• The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Sofia) and one department from Sofia University showed the highest visibility on Scopus, while two rural universities - the University of Veliko Tarnovo and Shumen University - were visible mostly on ResearchGate and Google Scholar.
• Overall visibility of each institution on social media was very low, ranging from 8% to 16%.
• The analysis led to recommendations for increasing the visibility and impact of Bulgarian research in geography, which include improving communication and developing strategies for research management and public relations.

Statistics:

• 116 researchers affiliated with five institutions in Bulgaria were analyzed.
• Only 57.8% (66 out of 116) of the researchers had published in internationally indexed journals.
• 61.4% (71 out of 116) of the researchers had a presence on ResearchGate.
• 53.4% (62 out of 116) of the researchers had a presence on Google Scholar.
• The visibility of institutions on social media ranged from 8% to 16%.

Sources:

• "Visibility and research impact of Bulgarian geographers: insights from indexing databases and social media platforms" published in European Science Editing by Hristina Prodanova et al. European Association of Science Editors, 2025, doi: 10.3897/ese.2025.e120210
• NewsRx. Studies from National Institute of Geophysics Update Current Data on Science Editing (Visibility and research impact of Bulgarian geographers: insights from indexing databases and social media platforms). Science Letter. July 4, 2025; p 649.