Bibliometric analysis of economic geology literature from Africa 1993-1996

Geological Abstracts (a print database) was used to compile a bibliography of economic geology literature from Africa, for the period 1993-1996. Two hundred and twenty-two items were recorded within the period studied and analyzed using simple statistical methods. The analyses were done according to contributions to the sub-divisions of the economic geology literature. Growth pattern of the field was also taken into consideration as well as which African countries contributed to the literature of economic geology. The findings of the study exhibit that African geological researchers were more active in certain areas of the economic geology literature, especially in the areas of energy sources and metals. All of the African contributions were in the form of research papers. Only six countries-South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, Tunisia, and Ghana-consistently contributed to the field of Economic Geology, one or more publications each year within the period studied.