A bibliometric analysis of investigative genetic genealogy in academic literature: Trends, networks, and emerging themes

Abstract

This bibliometric review examines 147 Scopus-indexed publications (1993–Oct 2025) on investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) to map growth, influential actors, venues, and thematic structure. Research output accelerated after the 2018 Golden State Killer inflection and is geographically concentrated in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Sweden, and Australia. Science mapping identifies three core clusters—population-genetic foundations, kinship algorithms and laboratory pipelines, and governance/ethics—whose intersection centers on SNP-based assays and genealogical databases. Persistent gaps include limited multi-site validation, proprietary matching algorithms that resist audit, and ancestry-skewed database coverage that raises equity concerns. We recommend multi-laboratory benchmark studies, auditable matching interfaces, coverage-aware performance metrics, and cross-domain collaborations to align technical innovation with transparency, fairness, and public trust.