Pearl : A Journal of Library and Information Science
  • Year: 2025
  • Volume: 19
  • Issue: 2

Fake news research publication during the period 2013-2022: A scientometric study

1Library Assistant, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu-603203, Tamil Nadu, India

2University Librarian, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu-603203, Tamil Nadu, India

(*Corresponding author) email id: ravichas2@srmist.edu.in

**rajendranperiyaswamy@gmail.com

Online published on 19 September, 2025.

Abstract

The current research on fake news publications is extremely high in comparison to the beginning years of the study. Fake news study papers are becoming more prevalent. A total of 1,840 (26.59%) research papers were released in the year 2022, followed by 1,835 (26.52%) publications in 2021, and 2020 with 1,421(20.54%) research papers published in fake news research during the study period. With a maximum of 3,839 (55.48%) research articles published in journals as the source type, an article’s RGR has steadily decreased from 0.62 in 2014 to 0.31 in 2022. The time it takes to post an article has doubled over time, rising from 1.12 in 2014 to 2.24 in 2022. The author Nakov, P. from the United States provided the most publications, 29 (13.06%) research publications, accounting for 3,280 (47.41%) of total document-type publications. The majority of the journals in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science Including the Subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics 280 (27.59%) were issued by Nanyang Technological University, with 59 (13.69%). The United States contributed the most articles, accounting for more than 1,504 (30.84%) of the total publication. The time series analysis statistical application, the estimated growth in fake News research publications in the year 2025 and around 2,771, and in the year 2030 is around 3,811. As a result, serious analysis at the time verified that the number of publications on fake News research was on the rise. Balmas M. (2014) “When Fake News Becomes Real: Combined Exposure to Multiple News Sources and Political Attitudes of Inefficacy, Alienation, and Cynicism” Communication Research, 41(3):430-454 is the most highly cited article. Article, with 189 citations.

Keywords

Scientometrics, Bibliometric, Related citation index, RGR, Doubling time, Time series analysis, Highly cited papers