Database underlying the scientific publication: A global database of seahorse research and innovation, from the beginning to 2022

The present database supports the study "A global database of seahorse research and innovation, from the beginning to 2022". 

Scientific knowledge on seahorses is rapidly expanding in response to declines in wild populations due to habitat loss and fishing. A plethora of information has accumulated and up until now, a global, publicly available, curated database has never been produced in a transparent and systematic way. Here, we present the largest open-access repository of scientific publications addressing seahorses and, for the first time, of theses and patents. Compilation followed the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses” (PRISMA) Statement for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, with modifications. The current repository duplicates the number of scientific publication records found from previous bibliometric/literature/review studies, using three extra repositories of source publications, and a lifetime window, e.i. from the beginning to March 2022. A total of 977 scientific publications, 101 theses and 533 patents are gathered in the dataset, covering 41 seahorse species out of 48 currently recognized. In addition, current work presents for the first time new metrics on authors, institutions, and research subject/field/discipline/thematic, as well as the organism’s stage of development (embryo, newborn, juvenile, subadult and adult). To expand metadata usage, the database was also made available in the Dublin Core™ Metadata Initiative format. This contribution can be used as a core reference for scientists, aquaculturists and conservationists, and is useful to rapidly identify relevant literature and knowledge gaps, better understand seahorse research and discover new trends in seahorse research and innovation.

The database is available in two formats:

1) SeahorseBibliometricDatabase.xlsx

and

2) SeahorseBibliometricDatabase_DublinCore.xlsx, which is a vocabulary standardized (Dublin Core™ Metadata Initiative) version of the previous one, for metadata reuse.