Links and Interaction of Villagers and Rural Revitalization: A Bibliometric Review

Abstract

Purpose – The dominant role of villagers in rural revitalization has been emphasized in recent years. This review addresses the following three research questions: First, how did the research topics of villagers in rural vitalization evolve? Second, what are the similarities and differences between the research development stages? Third, where are the hotspots for villagers and rural vitalization?Design/methodology/approach – Using bibliometric analysis and CiteSpace software, this study systematically combed 2339 relevant literature to investigate the evolution and hotspots of research on the links and interaction of villagers and rural revitalization in the Web of Science (WOS) core collection.Findings – The study found that this research area has evolved into four stages, where conservation, management, and policy were mentioned the most. The topics of urban-rural difference studies, social innovation, bottom-up projects, community organizations, and sustainable development are hotspots and have more potential for future research.Practical implications – Based on the Web of Science core collection, this systematic review helps researchers determine the potential focus of villagers in rural development. The systematic review also provides a reference for practical revitalization strategies.Originality/value – This comprehensive systematic analysis through bibliometrics makes it possible to handle vast amounts of scientific literature data, which is beneficial for finding hidden development patterns, thus providing a basis for future research and practical decision-making.