Research Trends Analysis of Certified Reference Materials for Application in Geological Samples from 1975 to 2025.

Abstract

Certified reference materials (CRMs) are increasingly vital across research fields in analytical geochemistry and geological samples. Their use with geological samples is essential to ensure the accuracy and reliability of analytical measurement procedures. In this study, the Scopus database was used for a literature review with the search term "certified reference material for application in geological applications, from 1975 to 2025, covering a span of 50 years." The bibliometric analysis results are presented in terms of research trends, leading countries, and the interrelation of keywords, visualized using RStudio: biblioshiny and VOS viewer. The results reveal a continuously increasing trend in publications related to CRMs, with major contributors being Germany, South Africa, and China. The results also highlight strong global collaboration and emphasize adherence to ISO 17034 accreditation, traceability, and analytical quality assurance. Moreover, among CRM production programmes, the South Africa reference material (SARM), initiated at the Council of Mineral Technology (Mintek), emerges as a growing and significant contributor. This work provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of Geological Reference Materials (GeoReM) and harmonized metrological traceability, CRMs, outlining global research trends, their evolution, and future directions in analytical standardization and metrological traceability over the last 50 years, including co-occurrence visualization of relevant studies.