A B S T R A C TBlue green algae cyanobacterial blooms can produce a family of toxins, microcystins, Microcystis aeruginosa. These proliferate in warm water bodies where nutrients are available, thus drinking water can be contaminated. This study evaluates the scientific output of microcystin research in China relative to that worldwide during 1991-2011 and explores future research directions. Data were retrieved from the online version of Web of Science from 1991 to 2011. Articles referring to microcystins were evaluated by yearly number of publications, cumulative number of articles, distribution of source countries, institutes, subject categories, journals, as well as by author keywords in these years based on the predictive h-index. It appeared that the quantity of articles published by Chinese researchers had increased at a quicker pace than the worldwide average rate since 2001. Article visibility was not in proportion to its article numbers. Moreover, China showed a different focus and future direction on microcystin research than other countries.