Science Mapping to study academic knowledge circulation

TL;DR

This paper reviews scientometric methods like coauthorship and bibliographic coupling to analyze global knowledge circulation, revealing diverse geographical contributions and key research fronts in science and social sciences.

Contribution

It provides an exploratory case study of knowledge circulation literature, highlighting geographical diversity, research themes, and foundational knowledge pillars across regions.

Findings

Diverse global research production, mainly in the Global North and Asia.

Key research fronts include history, philosophy, education, health, and policy.

Major knowledge pillars identified in various regions and disciplines.

Abstract

The application of mathematics and statistical methods to scholarly communication: scientometrics, has facilitated the systematic analysis of the modern digital tide of literature. This chapter reviews three of such applications: coauthorship, bibliographic coupling, and coword networks. It also presents an exploratory case of study for the knowledge circulation literature. It was found a diverse geographical production, mainly in the Global North and Asian institutions with significant intermediation of universities from USA, Colombia, and Japan. The research fronts identified were related to science and medicine's history and philosophy; education, health, policy studies; and a set of interdisciplinary topics. Finally, the knowledge pillars were comprised of urban planning policy, economic geography, and historical and theoretical perspectives in the Netherlands and Central Europe; globalization and science, technology, and innovation and historical and institutional frameworks in the UK; and cultural and learning studies in the XXI century.