Abstract / Summary
Background: Implementation science and implementation research have become essential for improving the translation of evidence-based interventions into routine healthcare practice. However, the global evolution of this field and India-related contribution have not been comprehensively characterised using bibliometric methods. Objective: To evaluate the global scientific landscape of implementation science and implementation research and compare global and India-related research outputs with respect to publication trends, research productivity, collaboration networks, citation impact, and thematic evolution. Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using publications retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, OpenAlex, and Dimensions between January 2000 and November 2025. Following systematic deduplication and eligibility screening, 9271 original research articles were included. Bibliometric analyses were performed using the Bibliometrix package in R and VOSviewer. Annual scientific production, author, institutional and country productivity, journal distribution, co-authorship, country collaboration, co-citation, citation indicators, and keyword evolution were analysed. Results: The final dataset comprised 9271 publications from 2020 journals involving 45,083 authors across 147 countries. Publication output showed a steady increase after 2008, followed by a marked acceleration from 2016 onwards, with substantial growth observed towards the end of the study period. The United States was the leading contributor (1917 publications), followed by the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and South Africa. The University of Washington was the most productive institution, while Byron J. Powell was the leading author. BMC Health Services Research , Implementation Science , and Implementation Science Communications were the leading publication sources. Collaboration analysis demonstrated strong international partnerships, particularly between the United States and the United Kingdom. The global corpus accumulated 227,323 citations (h-index 154), whereas the India-related subset demonstrated steady growth but lower publication volume and citation impact. Thematic analysis revealed increasing emphasis on implementation research, implementation science, qualitative methods, CFIR, stakeholder engagement, and health systems research over time. Conclusions: Implementation science has evolved into a mature and rapidly expanding global research field characterised by increasing scientific productivity, extensive international collaboration, and growing methodological sophistication. India's related implementation research has grown substantially in recent years, and continued investment in research capacity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and context-specific implementation science will further strengthen its contribution to the global implementation research landscape.