Thematic Dispersion in Arabic Applied Linguistics: A Bibliometric Analysis using Brookes' Measure

TL;DR

This paper uses Brookes' Measure to analyze the thematic diversity of Arabic Applied Linguistics research, revealing high heterogeneity and identifying key subfields within the discipline.

Contribution

It introduces a novel bibliometric methodology applying Brookes' Measure to assess thematic dispersion in a specific academic field.

Findings

Field exhibits extreme thematic dispersion with a low dispersion index of 0.194.

Computational Linguistics is a dominant but non-hegemonic subfield.

Methodology is replicable for assessing disciplinary structures across domains.

Abstract

This study applies Brookes' Measure of Categorical Dispersion ({\Delta}) to analyze the thematic structure of contemporary Arabic Applied Linguistics research. Using a comprehensive, real-world dataset of 1,564 publications from 2019 to 2025, classified into eight core sub-disciplines, we calculate a dispersion index of {\Delta} = 0.194. This remarkably low value indicates extreme thematic dispersion, revealing that the field is characterized by pronounced heterogeneity rather than concentration. The analysis identifies Computational Linguistics as a dominant but non-hegemonic force, coexisting with robust research in Sociolinguistics, Language Teaching, and other subfields. This study clarifies the correct application of Brookes' original formula, demonstrates its utility for field characterization, and provides a replicable bibliometric methodology for assessing disciplinary structure across domains.