Mapping the field of knowledge management: a bibliometric analysis using R

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to offer the bibliometric analysis of the Journal of Knowledge Management (JKM) to understand how the literature has developed over time.Design/methodology/approachThis study used bibliometric approaches to analyze a sample of 669 studies from 1997 to 2021. This study focused on performance analysis and scientific mapping of articles using the R package.FindingsThe results indicate that the number of publications during the period has significantly increased which shows a growing interest of researchers in the JKM. This study highlights new emerging themes such as change management, change readiness, product innovation and digital libraries which uncover exciting avenues for new research opportunities. USA and UK were the most productive countries in terms of the number of citations followed by few European countries including Spain, Finland, Germany and Sweden. However, it is worth noting that India was the most productive country in the emerging economies.Practical implicationsThis study will act as a guide for researchers of various fields to evaluate the development of scientific publications in a particular theme over time, especially for those who are in the field of knowledge management (KM).Originality/valueThis study aims to accomplish the systematic bibliometric analysis of the JKM for more than two decades, providing useful insights into the key developments in the field of KM. This study is more rigorous and comprehensive in terms of the analytical techniques used.