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Abstract:
Historical studies are heavily impacted by whose stories are told, who writes them, and how much local perspectives are included. This is true in volcanology as well, where analysis of historical sources and data related to eruptions may be impacted by the perspective and lived experience of the authors. As such, it is important to understand where the authors of volcanological studies are from and what perspectives they have. We used bibliometric methods to assess the way in which local researchers are included in volcanological publications by comparing the affiliation of authors with the country in which researched volcanoes are located. Globally, 40% of articles about a specific volcano do not include an author whose affiliation is based in the country where the volcano is located (a locally domiciled author), while 56% are led by authors not based in the country of the volcano. Over the past three decades, first authorship rates among local researchers have not increased. However, local researchers have become more frequently included as co-authors in research led by researchers domiciled elsewhere. The results of these analyses suggest that there is room for improvement in inclusivity in volcanological research and cause for reflection on how we collaborate with international partners. Improved collaboration and inclusion in publishing could result in better consideration of local knowledge and perspectives when analyzing historical information related to volcanic eruptions.
