Darulfünun Ilahiyat Journal, as a representative of a deep-rooted academic tradition in theology, has made significant contributions to the development of theological research in Türkiye with its 100-year history and scholarly production. This study aims to examine the number, type, language, author profile, educational collaboration, thematic trends, and scientific impact of the articles published in the journal by conducting a bibliometric analysis of Darulfünun Ilahiyat Journal and evaluating the journal’s academic contributions. The journal, which started its publication in 1925, returned to the scholarly publishing process under the Istanbul University Faculty of Theology Journal after a prolonged interruption in 1999. It gained its historical identity by taking the name of Darulfünun Ilahiyat Journal in 2018.

According to the bibliometric analysis performed on its publications between 1925 and 2024, 754 academic studies have been published in the journal. It has been observed that research articles constitute the largest share in terms of publication type, and Turkish articles constitute the largest share in terms of publication language. It has been determined that the Basic Islamic Sciences is the department that publishes the most articles. The Islamic Law, Tafsir and Religious Education departments stand out in the analysis specific to the departments. This distribution by department and significant appears to be directly related to the general structure of theological education and the number of academicians working in theological faculties. It has been observed that the authors with the title of assistant professor are the group that publishes the most and that there is a proportional decrease from assistant professors to professors. Accordingly, the academic contribution of researchers in the early stages of their academic careers is remarkable.

Bibliometric analyses show that the Darulfünun Ilahiyat Journal receives contributions from various academics. In the journal, where 417 different authors published articles, it was revealed that most of the authors (79.4%) contributed only one article. This resulted from the journal being indexed in international indexes, increasing its visibility in the academic community, and authors from different institutions turning to the journal, especially after 2017. When the author distribution of the journal was analysed by taking into account the Pareto, Lotka and Price laws regarding author productivity, it was determined that it did not comply with the Pareto and Price laws, where a small number   of authors contributed scientifically by producing a large number of articles; however, it complied with the Lotka law, where a large number of authors contributed scientifically by making a single publication. This situation can be considered a natural and expected result for the field of theology, which is shaped by twenty different branches of science. Therefore, it is seen that the journal’s policy of publishing academics from various institutions/countries caused diversity to come to the forefront instead of uniformity in the distribution of authors.

When the data is examined in terms of academic collaboration, it is determined that most articles published in the journal are single-authored (94.8%). The rate of articles with two or more authors is relatively low. The low rate of multi-authored articles indicates that the culture of collective work is generally limited in the discipline of theology and that the tendency of more than one academic to produce joint projects and research is relatively low. However, there has been an increasing trend in the number of multi authored and interdisciplinary articles since 2017. This trend points to a development towards addressing theological research from a multidisciplinary perspective. The network analysis of academic collaboration shows that the authors mainly collaborate with academics in their faculties. This situation indicates that academic interactions within the faculty largely shape academic studies in the field of theology. It has been determined that academic collaborations between universities are not yet at the desired level, but they have increased in recent years.

The total number of citations to the Darulfünun Ilahiyat Journal was determined as 3999. The most cited article received 219 citations, while three articles received over 100 citations. While 43% of the articles published in the journal received no citations, the rate of articles with 1-5 citations was determined as 26.8%. This situation shows that some articles are not sufficiently visible and have a limited impact on the literature. Articles with more than 21 citations are around 10%, while the rate of articles with 50+ citations is 1.6%. Some of the most cited articles focus on religious education/educational sciences, Islamic/Ottoman history, and Sufism. These articles have generally had a broad impact in the academic world, have formed the basis for various studies, and have become one of the reference works in their fields. Similarly, in the analysis of views and downloads, it is seen that the most viewed and downloaded articles are on the same topics. The study shows that many articles have been downloaded in high numbers and that specific articles have reached a wide readership. This indicates that the journal appeals to a wide readership and that the published studies find a response in academic and professional circles.

The bibliometric analysis findings show that the journal’s academic productivity has increased over the years, received contributions from different institutions and internationally recognised academics, and continues to develop in terms of academic impact. Based on the bibliometric analysis findings, the following suggestions can be  made to increase the academic visibility and scientific impact of the Darulfünun Ilahiyat Journal: Strategies such as encouraging international collaborations, expanding the number of English publications, and giving more space to social sciences and interdisciplinary studies can be implemented to increase the academic impact of the journal. Strengthening the balance between academics at different career levels and increasing academic diversity will positively contribute to the publication policy. In particular, encouraging multi-authored and interdisciplinary articles and creating thematic special issues that bring together academics who are experts and have a say in their fields will increase the academic interaction power of the journal. In particular, more studies on current themes and interdisciplinary topics, such as mushaf research, biofiqh, ethics, spiritual counselling, and early childhood religious education- will increase the journal’s influence in the academic community. The publication of new journals specifically covering these topics by the faculty will not only ease the burden of the journal in different dimensions but also make it easier for them to enter international indexes. Analysing highly cited articles and examining the subject headings and prominent elements in these articles will positively develop the journal’s publication strategy. In addition, increasing social media promotions and sharing articles/abstracts on common scientific platforms (ResearchGate, Academia.edu, etc.) seem essential to increase the number of citations.

As a result, this bibliometric analysis is thought to be an essential guide in evaluating the journal’s academic contributions and determining future strategies as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Darulfünun Ilahiyat Journal. Similarly, conducting regular bibliometric analyses and improving citation policies will strengthen the journal’s position in the scientific world.