Empowering Voices: Bibliometric Insights into Indian Female LIS Researchers (1954-2022)

This study examines Indian female LIS scholarship, focusing on variables such as chronological distribution, authorship analysis, productivity (sources, states), highly cited papers, and topical analysis. Bibliometric research methods were applied using data from the Web of Science, Scopus, Library and Information Science Abstract (LISA), and Library Information Science and Technology Abstracts (LISTA). A sample of 3083 records from 1954-2022 was analysed using Biblioshiny, Python, Power BI, MS-Excel and Access. Findings indicate a substantial increase, with 82% of publications occurring in the last 12 years and 569 (18.4 %) publications alone in 2021. Female authors contributed to 3,083 (41 %) of 7,531 of India’s LIS research. Library Philosophy and Practice (LPP) was the most popular publication source, accounting for 33.44 % of the publications. Two-author papers accounted for 51.3 % of the publications, while female-to-male collaborations accounted for 71.3 %. The LIS research output was concentrated in Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Bibliometrics, scientometrics and academic libraries have emerged as the dominant research areas with recent trends focusing on COVID-19. The continued gender gap in Indian LIS suggests the need for gender-sensitive policies and institutional support. This study offers actionable insights for researchers, policymakers and funding agencies to promote gender equity in Indian LIS research.