Abstract
The debate about Circular Economy (CE) has been increasingly enriched by academics through a vast array of contributions, based on several theoretical perspectives and emanating from several research domains. However, current research still falls short of providing a holistic and broader view of CE, one that combines existing themes and emerging research trends. Accordingly, based on a Systematic Literature Network Analysis, this paper tackles this gap. First, a Citation Network Analysis is used to unearth the development of the CE literature based on papers’ references, whilst the Main Path is traced to detect the seminal papers in the field through time. Second, to consider the literature in its broader extent, a Keywords Co-Occurrence Network Analysis is conducted based on papers’ keywords, whereby all papers in the dataset, including the non-cited papers, are assessed. Additionally, a Global Citation Score analysis is conducted to uncover the recent breakthrough research, in addition to the Burst Analysis used to detect the dynamic development of CE literature over time. By doing so, the paper explores the development of the CE body of knowledge, reveals its dynamic evolution over time, detects its main theoretical perspectives and research domains, and highlights its emerging topics. Our findings unfold the evidence of eight main trends of research about CE, unearth the path through which the CE concept emerged and has been growing, and concludes with promising avenues for future research.
Highlights
The term “Circular Economy (CE)” was introduced by scholars [1] attempting to model a closed loop economy applying a materials balance model
We applied various quantitative bibliometric tools, algorithms and software, which resulted in a dynamic depiction of the progress of CE research over time
Thereby, we present the big picture of CE theoretical and practical understanding, identify its major research trends, and propose a future research agenda underpinned by the dynamic advancement of the topic
Summary
The term “Circular Economy (CE)” was introduced by scholars [1] attempting to model a closed loop economy applying a materials balance model. Current research still falls short of providing a holistic and broader view of CE that combines existing themes, including the main path of the development of CE knowledge, and emerging research trends. This paper intends to fill this gap by exploring the overall pool of the CE scientific work. With this purpose, instead of giving a static portrayal of CE, we explore the process of knowledge conception, dissemination and progress through a dynamic lens, with the aim to unearth its ongoing evolution. Our main research question is: What are the existing themes and emerging research trends in Circular Economy?
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