Research of the family life cycle in Russian science (2000-2018): a bibliometric analysis

The study provides data on the development of the concept of family life cycle in Russian science and its dissemination in sociology. The paper presents the results of a bibliometric analysis of PhD or doctoral theses on the family life cycle defended in Russia and approved by the Higher Attestation Commission (2000-2018) as well as scientific publications of Russian authors (articles and monographs) on this topic (2006-2018). Bibliometric analysis is considered as a quantitative assessment of the various elements of the documentary information flow (theses, articles, monographs) that is the first but absolutely necessary stage of any scientific research, an introduction to the problem. There is a description of the branch, geographical, and temporal structures of the main elements of the documentary information flow concerning the family life cycle and their dynamics. The authors draw conclusions that will be useful for further studies on the family life cycle in sociology and identify possible research priorities.