Conducting systematic literature reviews and bibliometric analyses

TLDR

Literature reviews are essential for gathering existing knowledge and assessing a field’s state, yet business and management scholars often rely on cursory, narrative reviews that lack systematic investigation. The article outlines methodological steps for conducting literature reviews in a replicable and scientific manner. It also discusses bibliographic mapping techniques to visualise bibliometric data from systematic literature reviews. The article’s insights aim to aid researchers from doctoral students to senior scholars in assembling comprehensive, authoritative literature reviews. JEL Classification: C18, C80, C88, M10, M20.

Abstract

Literature reviews play an essential role in academic research to gather existing knowledge and to examine the state of a field. However, researchers in business, management and related disciplines continue to rely on cursory and narrative reviews that lack a systematic investigation of the literature. This article details methodological steps for conducting literature reviews in a replicable and scientific fashion. This article also discusses bibliographic mapping approaches to visualise bibliometric information and findings from a systematic literature review. We hope that the insights provided in this article are useful for researchers at different stages of their careers – ranging from doctoral students who wish to assemble a broad overview of their field of interest to guide their work, to senior researchers who wish to publish authoritative literature reviews. JEL Classification: C18, C80, C88, M10, M20