TEN YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC LEGACY – A TRIBUTE TO RBOL

Resumen

The Brazilian Journal of Forensic Odontology (Revista Brasileira de Odontologia Legal, RBOL) is the first journal in Latin America exclusively dedicated to forensic odontology, and one of the few worldwide publishing in the field. In celebration of its 10th anniversary, this bibliometric review revisited RBOL’s trajectory from 2014 to 2024 to characterize its editorial development. Bibliometric indicators were leveraged, such as co-authorship, institutional and international collaborations, thematic evolution trends, and methodological approaches. All RBOL’s publications were included, except editorials and annals. Data were extracted and analyzed with Microsoft Power BI and R (Bibliometrix package), producing temporal, geographical, and thematic maps. The total of eligible studies was 306. The analysis revealed a peak in productivity in 2017 with a mean of 29 articles per year. Contributions originated from 16 countries, with Brazil accounting for the majority, followed by the United Kingdom, Argentina, and Belgium. Federal University of Goiás stood out as the most productive institution, while Belgium, Russia, and the United Kingdom were the main international partners. Observational descriptive studies, literature reviews, and case reports were more prevalent, with thematic mapping highlighting clusters in human identification, ethics, and interdisciplinary applications. RBOL has consolidated itself as a consistent and credible scientific outlet, advancing national research capacity while progressively integrating into global forensic science networks. Its trajectory reflects not only the consolidation of forensic odontology in Brazil but also its growing dialogue with the international forensic audience.