Background. Bibliometric analysis and the study of the state of the art are two essential tools to understand the research in the field of analysis of microorganisms in soils. Objective. To analyze, through a literature review, the different methods that exist to study soil microbial diversity. Methodology. The review was carried out in two phases. The first phase consisted in carrying out a state of the art on the main biological and molecular-based methods that have been used to analyze soil microbial diversity, the second phase consisted in a bibliometric analysis, carried out with the help of two software, where revealed the main trends and contributions of the publications, as well as the most influential authors in the field. Results. The main lines of research where techniques are used to analyze edaphic communities are: bioremediation, phylogenetic relationships, agricultural productivity, phytoremediation, nitrification, actinobacteria, molecular ecology and sustainable agriculture. It was found that 358 articles on biological methods and 1468 articles on molecular basis have been published and the latter are the most cited. Implications. Molecular techniques standout as the most frequently used due to their greater precision and great diversity of microorganism identified in soils. Conclusions. China is the most innovative country in this field and is focusing on molecular-based methods.