Current Distance Education Research Landscape: A Bibliometric Study
Abstract
In this article, we analyze the thematic evolution of the Distance Education research field, the impact of its researchers, and their production. Bibliometrics techniques such as Performance Analysis and Science Mapping were applied to 40 journals selected as most relevant in the Scopus database from 2018 to 2022, which resulted in 12,947 articles analyzed. In the performance analysis, it was possible to identify a significant increase in the number of publications, with a notable concentration of journals in Europe (55%) and North America (35%); on the other hand, the affiliation of the top 10 most cited authors is predominantly located in Asia, indicating that these individuals tend to publish in international journals. In the Science Mapping procedures, it was possible to identify two hot topics: the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging in 2020, and virtual reality, appearing in 2022. Student-related themes emerged as central, underscoring its pivotal role in structuring the field. The stability of keywords was identified, showing that the terminology was consolidated. The interconnections among themes grew, indicating a multidisciplinary approach in the study of distance education.
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