Bibliometric analysis of the results of Reiki research

Abstract

Introduction: This study analyses bibliometric indicators to assess global research trends on Reiki, including publication patterns and key contributing countries. Methods: The publications included in Web of Science (WOS) databases between 1970 and 2024 were reviewed. The WOS database was searched using TS= “REIKI” and all WOS indexes were included. This search identified 414 studies. Among them, letters (n = 7), editorial materials (n = 19), book reviews (n = 9), corrections (n = 2), art and poetry (n = 1), news (n = 1), and retracted publications (n = 1) were removed. The remaining 374 articles were included in this bibliometric analysis. The R-package for bibliometric analysis (Bibliometrix) was used. Results: The bibliometric analysis found that researchers published Reiki-related studies between 1983 and 2024, with a publication growth rate of 4.47 %. On average, articles were 9.5 years old and received 13 citations per document. The total number of keywords identified by the authors was 553, the number of authors in the articles was 1124 authors, the number of single-author articles was 70, the average number of publications per author was 3.5, and international co-authorships were 7.219 %. The USA, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Turkiye were the top five countries that published on Reiki, respectively. The USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Turkiye were the top five countries with the most cited articles, respectively. Vitale A. is the most cited author. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine is the most cited journal. Conclusion: This study is the first of its kind to evaluate the articles written by researchers in the field of Reiki only. Despite the difficulties researchers experienced in the field of Reiki, the studies have increasingly been conducted in this field over the years and have been cited studies more. This study may be helpful for researchers to determine productive countries, journals, authors, and emerging trends in Reiki by providing comprehensive analyses and structured information on this subject. © 2025