NWB2023_Creating synergies in methods of review research and bibliometric analysis

The digitalization of information and increased access to scholarly literature has facilitated a rapid growth in research publications internationally over the last decades. Consequently, there is a growing need for “review research” across all disciplines, employing scientific methods (Kunisch et al., 2023), to keep track with the state-of-the-art. Governmental agencies in the Nordic countries are increasingly requesting reviews (White paper Meld.St.5 2022-23. Scoping reviews are one type of review research. They address broader questions than traditional systematic reviews, drawing on large datasets. Neither do they synthesis findings nor quality appraise single studies (Grant & Booth, 2009). Instead, scoping reviews aim to identify knowledge gaps and describe a topic with its conceptual and logistic boundaries (Sutton et al., 2019), and are in particularly useful when the literature is complex and heterogeneous, as well as for topics with emerging evidence. We argue that the combination of bibliometric analysis and scoping review-methodology stimulates synergies and efficiency. Both are methods of review research, address broad questions and apply large datasets such as the Web of Sciences (WoS) comprising bibliometric meta-data (Donthu et al., 2021). In this presentation, we show how combining bibliometric analyses and scoping review methods generate synergies, while keeping individual strengths of both methods. Drawing on case-studies of specific research topics (e.g., Nordic research on discrimination, harassment, and equality) we investigate how science mapping techniques and network analysis can be used at different review stages to facilitate the process and improve visualization. Software such as e.g., VOSViewer and Leximancer will be used.