http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/handle/123456789/3442 Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:50:12 GMT 2026-04-23T10:50:12Z http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/handle/123456789/13055 A 65 Year Retrospective on Social Sciences Research in Sri Lanka: An Analysis of Scopus Indexed Publications Chandani, J.G.; Nishanthi, H.D.M This article analyzes 65 years (1952-2024) of research conducted by Sri Lankan scholars in the field of Social Sciences. The study's objective was to assess the research contributions of authors in Social Sciences (SS) affiliated with the 17 public universities overseen by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Sri Lanka. The bibliometric method was employed to evaluate the research performance of authors linked to Sri Lankan universities. The Elsevier Scopus database was chosen for extracting data, using "Sri Lanka" as the search term for affiliations. Data was gathered from 17 universities categorized under "Social Sciences." A total of 3,953 research articles (6.1%) were retrieved from the database pertaining to SS. Each entry was verified twice, leading to the removal of 29 duplicate records. This study offers a thorough bibliometric examination of 65 years of social science research in Sri Lanka, concentrating on scholarly publications from 17 public universities. Utilizing the Elsevier Scopus database provides insights into the research output, development trends, and growth patterns among Sri Lankan scholars in the Social Sciences. The results indicate a rising trajectory, with a significant increase in publications following the Covid-19 pandemic. This research will aid future scholars in pinpointing less-explored areas and support policymakers in determining research funding priorities. It represents the first comprehensive analysis of the social science research landscape in Sri Lanka. Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/handle/123456789/13055 2025-03-31T00:00:00Z http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/handle/123456789/13053 The contribution of Buddhist Monks to the creation of Palm Leaf Manuscripts Nishanthi, M; Chandani, J.G.; Konpola, K.W.A.M.; Kumara, H.U.C.S. In the past, writing on palm leaf manuscripts has been a rich and enduring tradition in Sri Lanka, and palm leaf manuscripts are one of Sri Lanka's foremost historical sources. However, natural palm leaves are not suitable for scribing on palm leaf manuscripts and it is a very difficult task to make it suitable for writing. Several steps must be taken to create a palm leaf manuscript from marking the palm tree for palm leaves to writing on palm leaf using a steel point and blackened. The contribution of Buddhist monks in this respect has been very high since ancient times. However, a review of investigations, research articles, and surveys on the subject showed that there was no discussion of Buddhist monks' potential contributions to many aspects of the process of creating palm leaf manuscripts. Therefore, the objective of the study was to investigate in more detail what contribution the Buddhist monks’ creations to palm leaf manuscripts. Sources such as books, journal articles, conference papers, websites and case studies published on palm leaf manuscripts were used to conduct this literature review. All literature selected for research was analyzed based on the process of creating palm leaf manuscripts. After the Tripitaka was written completely in the text on the palm leaves in the first century BC at Aluvihara (also known as Alokavihara in Pali), many palm leaf manuscripts were prepared and spread throughout the island. In Sri Lanka, a lot of Tipitaka manuscripts are written in Pali Language using Sinhalese characters. It is evident from the analytical literature that both lay and priests worked based on the temple to create the palm leaf manuscripts. However, the study revealed that Buddhist monks have contributed a lot to the writing of palm leaf manuscripts in Sri Lanka and that the process of creation is a Buddhist religious activity. Large scale religious writing first appeared in the country when Ven. Buddhaghosa Composed the Aṭṭhakathā (commentaries) in the fifth century AD. The Buddhist manuscripts such as Chullavaggaya and Visuddhimaggaṭīkā, Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna-suttha, Abhidhammapiṭaka, Dhammapada atthakatha, Dhammapada, Dighanikaya, Theragāthā and Vimānavatthu show that the Buddhist monks have contributed to the creation of Buddhist manuscripts by widely using palm leaves. Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/handle/123456789/13053 2025-03-23T00:00:00Z http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/handle/123456789/13032 The research articles on palm leaf manuscripts in Sri Lanka : a bibliomertic study using Google Scholar articles published during 2015-2022 Kumara, H. U. C. S; Nishanthi, H. D. M.; Chandani, J.G.; Konpola, K.W.A.M. Palm leaf manuscripts are one of the oldest written forms found in Sri Lanka. Palm leaf manuscripts can be found throughout Sri Lanka in temples, monasteries, national museums, national archives, national libraries, university libraries, and special libraries. Bibliometric analysis is the application of statistical and mathematical tools to books and media communication. The statistical analysis of written publications, such as books, articles, or other publications, is known as bibliometric analysis. In the field of library and information science, as well as in other fields, library statistics are often used to provide quantitative analysis of academic research. This bibliometric study focuses on the research articles based on palm leaf manuscripts in Sri Lanka. The objectives of the study were to identify the annual growth of research publications, examine authorship patterns, and identify the most cited articles in palm leaf manuscripts in Sri Lanka during 2015-2022. Additionally, this study was used to identify the affiliation with the highest number of publications on palm leaf manuscripts in Sri Lanka and to analyze the most popular keywords in the publications. The study examined 36 research articles based on Sri Lankan palm leaf manuscriptsthat were published in Google Scholar between 2015 and 2022 and used bibliometric methodology to analyze the data. The Google Scholar advanced searching techniques were used to obtain data from Google Scholar with keywords including “palm leaf manuscript," “Sri Lanka,” “Ola leaf manuscript,'1 and “Sri Lanka." VOS viewer software and the Excel package were used to analyze and visualize the data in the study.According to the visualization data, the highest number of articles was published in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021, with 6 (17%) each. Most of the research in this field was carried out by individual authors. Of these, 19 (53%) were published by individual authors and 17 (47%) with co-authors. The results of this study have shown that “Sri Lanka” (30) and “Palm Leaf Manuscript” (33) are the strongest keywords of general link strength. Padmasiri G. R. was the author who the highest citations (12 citations) in his publication had titled “Management of indigenous knowledge in Sri Lanka, with special reference to indigenous medicine”. The most significant affiliation was the University of Kelaniya, which had the highest number of publications. Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/handle/123456789/13032 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/handle/123456789/13030 Information Sharing and Expression of Ideas among Street-Based Female Prostitutes (SBFPs) in Sri Lanka Chandani, J.G.; Nishanthi, H.D.M. In this study, two main objectives have been investigated. The first was to find out the techniques of information sharing between women involved in street prostitution in Sri Lanka, while the second was to discover the practices they use to express their feelings. Understanding the socio-demographic characteristics such as age, civil status, education and family background of the SBFPs were the sub-objectives of the study. Survey and case study methods were adopted for the study. Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and Ratmalana were selected as the research area, and the data was collected using simple questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The snowball sampling method was used to select the sample of 20 SBFPs who were engaged in prostitution in the streets. The data for this study was analyzed by using qualitative methods. Descriptive statistics was used for the demographic characteristics of the subjects. The results of this study revealed that there is a subculture among street prostitutes. They engage in competitiveness in their profession and this subculture has introduced certain dictions. Such street prostitutes adapt their way of communication through signals. Results indicate that there are literate women with aesthetic skills found among the prostitutes in the community. Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT http://dr.lib.sjp.ac.lk/handle/123456789/13030 2024-08-01T00:00:00Z