Startseite A scientometric analysis of applied linguistics research (1970–2022): methodology and future directions
Artikel
Lizenziert
Nicht lizenziert Erfordert eine Authentifizierung

A scientometric analysis of applied linguistics research (1970–2022): methodology and future directions

  • Azrifah Zakaria ORCID logo und Vahid Aryadoust ORCID logo EMAIL logo
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 16. Januar 2023
Veröffentlichen auch Sie bei De Gruyter Brill
Manuskript einreichen Informationen für Autor*innen
Applied Linguistics Review
Aus der Zeitschrift Applied Linguistics Review Band 15 Heft 4

Abstract

In this study, we provide a scientometric analysis of 43,685 studies published in 51 quartile-1 journals in the field of applied linguistics (1970–2022). Scientometric analysis uses citation records to quantitatively compute networks of cited works and map out how published works have been cited. We adapted a multi-stage scientometric method consisting of database identification, dataset generation, document co-citation analysis, research cluster identification, and cluster characterization. A number of major research clusters were identified and a high degree of interconnectedness in terms of theoretical base was observed between the clusters. The pre-2000 publications had a conspicuous focus on theories derived from language use, which might be said had set the tone for the maturation of the field. By contrast, the clusters that emerged from the 2000s showed more specificity and granularity in focus and scope, suggesting the beginning of a research era with more specialized directions. Despite this trend, we identified influential publications which received several spikes in citations in different eras, indicating their continued temporal and thematic relevance in different clusters. In addition, we found evidence of inter-cluster cross-pollinations. We discuss how each cluster should be characterized in terms of its knowledge base and knowledge front. Highly cited works form the knowledge base of a cluster while novel works form the knowledge fronts of a cluster. Future directions are mentioned and highlighted.

Keywords: applied linguistics; bibliometrics; document co-citation analysis; research cluster; scientometrics
Corresponding author: Vahid Aryadoust, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore, E-mail:

References

Aryadoust, Vahid. 2020. A review of comprehension subskills: A scientometrics perspective. System 88. 102180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2019.102180.Suche in Google Scholar

Aryadoust, Vahid & Bee Hoon Ang. 2021. Exploring the frontiers of eye tracking research in language studies: A novel co-citation scientometric review. Computer Assisted Language Learning 34(7). 898–933. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2019.1647251.Suche in Google Scholar

Aryadoust, Vahid, Azrifah Zakaria, Mei Hui Lim & Chaomei Chen. 2020. An extensive knowledge mapping review of measurement and validity in language assessment and SLA research. Frontiers in Psychology 11. 1941. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01941.Suche in Google Scholar

Chen, Chaomei. 2014. The CiteSpace manual. Available at: http://cluster.ischool.drexel.edu/∼cchen/citespace/CiteSpaceManual.pdf.Suche in Google Scholar

Chen, Chaomei. 2019. How to use CiteSpace. Available at: https://leanpub.com/howtousecitespace.Suche in Google Scholar

Chen, Chaomei & Loet Leydesdorff. 2014. Patterns of connections and movements in dual-map overlays: A new method of publication portfolio analysis. Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology 65(2). 334–351. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.22968.Suche in Google Scholar

Chen, Chaomei & Min Song. 2019. Visualizing a field of research: A methodology of systematic scientometric reviews. PLoS One 14(10). e0223994. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0223994.Suche in Google Scholar

Chen, Chaomei, Fidelia Ibekwe-SanJuan & Jianhua Hou. 2010. The structure and dynamics of cocitation clusters: A multiple-perspective cocitation analysis. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 61(7). 1386–1409. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.21309.Suche in Google Scholar

Clarivate Analytics. 2022. Clarivate names world’s leading journals with the 2022 journal citation reports. https://ir.clarivate.com/news-events/press-releases/news-details/2022/Clarivate-Names-Worlds-Leading-Journals-with-the-2022-Journal-Citation-Reports/ (accessed 13 September 2022).Suche in Google Scholar

Garfield, Eugene. 1955. Citation indexes for science. Science 122(3159). 108–111. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.122.3159.108.Suche in Google Scholar

Glänzel, Wolfgang & András Schubert. 1993. A characterization of scientometric distributions based on harmonic means. Scientometrics 2(1). 81–96. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02016794.Suche in Google Scholar

Goksu, Idris, Ebru Ozkaya & Ali Gunduz. 2020. The content analysis and bibliometric mapping of CALL journal. Computer Assisted Language Learning 35(8). 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2020.1857409.Suche in Google Scholar

Hammond, J.W., Pamela A. Moss, Minh Q. Huynh & Carl Lagoze. 2020. Research synthesis infrastructures: Shaping knowledge in education. Review of Research in Education 44(1). 1–35. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X20907350.Suche in Google Scholar

Lei, Lei & Dilin Liu. 2019a. Research trends in applied linguistics from 2005 to 2016: A bibliometric analysis and its implications. Applied Linguistics 40(3). 540–561. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amy003.Suche in Google Scholar

Lei, Lei & Dilin Liu. 2019b. The research trends and contributions of System’s publications over the past four decades (1973–2017): A bibliometric analysis. System 80. 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2018.10.003.Suche in Google Scholar

Lim, Mei Hui & Vahid Aryadoust. 2021. A scientometric review of research trends in computer-assisted language learning (1977–2020). Computer Assisted Language Learning 35(9). 2675–2700. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2021.1892768.Suche in Google Scholar

Lin, Zhong & Lei Lei. 2020. The research trends of multilingualism in applied linguistics and education (2000–2019): A bibliometric analysis. Sustainability 12(15). 6058. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12156058.Suche in Google Scholar

Liu, Yanhua & Guangwei Hu. 2021. Mapping the field of English for specific purposes (1980–2018): A co-citation analysis. English for Specific Purposes 61. 97–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2020.10.003.Suche in Google Scholar

Locatelli, Mirko, Elena Seghezzi, Laura Pellegrini, Lavinia Chiara Tagliabue & Guiseppe Martino Di Giuda. 2021. Exploring natural language processing in construction and integration with building information modeling: A scientometric analysis. Buildings 11(12). 583. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11120583.Suche in Google Scholar

Meara, Paul. 2012. The bibliometrics of vocabulary acquisition: An exploratory study. RELC Journal 43(1). 7–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688212439339.Suche in Google Scholar

Meijia, Cristian, Mengjia Wu, Yi Zhang & Yuya Kajikawa. 2021. Exploring topics in bibliometric research through citation networks and semantic analysis. Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics 6. 742311. https://doi.org/10.3389/frma.2021.742311.Suche in Google Scholar

Milojević, Staša & Loet Leydesdorff. 2013. Information metrics (iMetrics): A research specialty with a socio-cognitive identity? Scientometrics 95. 141–157. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-012-0861-z.Suche in Google Scholar

Miranda, Ruben & Esther Garcia-Carpintero. 2018. Overcitation and overrepresentation of review papers in the most cited papers. Journal of Informetrics 12(4). 1015–1030. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2018.08.006.Suche in Google Scholar

Moral-Muñoz, José A., Enrique Herrera-Viedma, Antonio Santisteban-Espejo & Manuel J. Cobo. 2020. Software tools for conducting bibliometric analysis in science: An up-to-date review. El Profesional de la Información 29(1). 1–20. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2020.ene.03.Suche in Google Scholar

Penner, Orion, Raj K. Pan, Alexander M. Petersen, Kimmo Kaski & Santo Fortunato. 2013. On the predictability of future impact in science. Scientific Reports 3(1). 3052. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep03052.Suche in Google Scholar

Rousseau, Ronald. 2021. Naukometriya, Nalimov and Mul’chenko. COLLNET Journal of Scientometrics and Information Management 15(1). 213–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/09737766.2021.1943042.Suche in Google Scholar

Rousseeuw, Peter J. 1987. Silhouettes: A graphical aid to the interpretation and validation of cluster analysis. Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics 20. 53–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/0377-0427(87)90125-7.Suche in Google Scholar

ScimagoJR. 2022. Help. https://www.scimagojr.com/help.php?q=FAQ (accessed 13 September 2022).Suche in Google Scholar

Small, Henry. 1973. Co-citation in the scientific literature: A new measure of the relationship between two documents. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology 24(4). 265–269. https://doi.org/10.1002/ASI.4630240406.Suche in Google Scholar

Sun, Yachao & Ge Lan. 2021. Research trends in ‘trans-‘ studies on writing: A bibliometric analysis. System 103. 102640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2021.102640.Suche in Google Scholar

Thelwall, Mike. 2008. Bibliometrics to webometrics. Journal of Information Science 34(4). 605–621. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165551507087238.Suche in Google Scholar

Ware, Mark & Michael Mabe. 2015. The STM report: An overview of scientific and scholarly journal publishing, 4th edn. The Hague: International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers.Suche in Google Scholar

Zhang, Xian. 2019. A bibliometric analysis of second language acquisition between 1997 and 2018. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 42(1). 199–222. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263119000573.Suche in Google Scholar

Supplementary Material

This article contains supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2022-0210).

Received: 2022-12-28
Accepted: 2022-12-28
Published Online: 2023-01-16
Published in Print: 2024-07-26

© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Artikel in diesem Heft

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Special Issue: Power, Linguistic Discrimination and Inequality in English Language Teaching and Learning (ELTL): Reflection and Reform for Applied Linguistics from the Global South; Guest Editors: Fan Gabriel Fang and Sender Dovchin
  3. Editorial
  4. Reflection and reform of applied linguistics from the Global South: power and inequality in English users from the Global South
  5. Research Articles
  6. Translingual English discrimination: loss of academic sense of belonging, the hiring order of things, and students from the Global South
  7. Applied linguistics from the Global South: way forward to linguistic equality and social justice
  8. English high-stakes testing and constructing the ‘international’ in Kazakhstan and Mongolia
  9. The mundanity of translanguaging and Aboriginal identity in Australia
  10. Multimodal or multilingual? Native English teachers’ engagement with translanguaging in Hong Kong TESOL classrooms
  11. Epistemic injustice and neoliberal imaginations in English as a medium of instruction (EMI) policy
  12. Commentary
  13. Transidiomatic favela: language resources and embodied resistance in Brazilian and South African peripheries
  14. Special Issue: Translanguaging Outside the Centre: Perspectives from Chinese Language Teaching; Guest Editor: Danping Wang
  15. Editorial
  16. Translanguaging outside the centre: perspectives from Chinese language teaching
  17. Research Articles
  18. Translanguaging as a decolonising approach: students’ perspectives towards integrating Indigenous epistemology in language teaching
  19. Translanguaging as sociolinguistic infrastructuring to foster epistemic justice in international Chinese-medium-instruction degree programs in China
  20. Translanguaging as a pedagogy: exploring the use of teachers’ and students’ bilingual repertoires in Chinese language education
  21. A think-aloud method of investigating translanguaging strategies in learning Chinese characters
  22. Translanguaging pedagogies in developing morphological awareness: the case of Japanese students learning Chinese in China
  23. Facilitating learners’ participation through classroom translanguaging: comparing a translanguaging classroom and a monolingual classroom in Chinese language teaching
  24. A multimodal analysis of the online translanguaging practices of international students studying Chinese in a Chinese university
  25. Special Issue: Research Synthesis in Language Learning and Teaching; Guest Editors: Sin Wang Chong, Melissa Bond and Hamish Chalmers
  26. Editorial
  27. Opening the methodological black box of research synthesis in language education: where are we now and where are we heading?
  28. Research Article
  29. A typology of secondary research in Applied Linguistics
  30. Review Articles
  31. A scientometric analysis of applied linguistics research (1970–2022): methodology and future directions
  32. A systematic review of meta-analyses in second language research: current practices, issues, and recommendations
  33. Research Article
  34. Topics, publication patterns, and reporting quality in systematic reviews in language education. Lessons from the international database of education systematic reviews (IDESR)
  35. Review Article
  36. Bilingual education in China: a qualitative synthesis of research on models and perceptions
  37. Regular Issue Articles
  38. An interactional approach to speech acts for applied linguistics
  39. “Church is like a mini Korea”: the potential of migrant religious organisations for promoting heritage language maintenance
https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2022-0210
Schlagwörter für diesen Artikel
applied linguistics; bibliometrics; document co-citation analysis; research cluster; scientometrics

Artikel in diesem Heft

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Special Issue: Power, Linguistic Discrimination and Inequality in English Language Teaching and Learning (ELTL): Reflection and Reform for Applied Linguistics from the Global South; Guest Editors: Fan Gabriel Fang and Sender Dovchin
  3. Editorial
  4. Reflection and reform of applied linguistics from the Global South: power and inequality in English users from the Global South
  5. Research Articles
  6. Translingual English discrimination: loss of academic sense of belonging, the hiring order of things, and students from the Global South
  7. Applied linguistics from the Global South: way forward to linguistic equality and social justice
  8. English high-stakes testing and constructing the ‘international’ in Kazakhstan and Mongolia
  9. The mundanity of translanguaging and Aboriginal identity in Australia
  10. Multimodal or multilingual? Native English teachers’ engagement with translanguaging in Hong Kong TESOL classrooms
  11. Epistemic injustice and neoliberal imaginations in English as a medium of instruction (EMI) policy
  12. Commentary
  13. Transidiomatic favela: language resources and embodied resistance in Brazilian and South African peripheries
  14. Special Issue: Translanguaging Outside the Centre: Perspectives from Chinese Language Teaching; Guest Editor: Danping Wang
  15. Editorial
  16. Translanguaging outside the centre: perspectives from Chinese language teaching
  17. Research Articles
  18. Translanguaging as a decolonising approach: students’ perspectives towards integrating Indigenous epistemology in language teaching
  19. Translanguaging as sociolinguistic infrastructuring to foster epistemic justice in international Chinese-medium-instruction degree programs in China
  20. Translanguaging as a pedagogy: exploring the use of teachers’ and students’ bilingual repertoires in Chinese language education
  21. A think-aloud method of investigating translanguaging strategies in learning Chinese characters
  22. Translanguaging pedagogies in developing morphological awareness: the case of Japanese students learning Chinese in China
  23. Facilitating learners’ participation through classroom translanguaging: comparing a translanguaging classroom and a monolingual classroom in Chinese language teaching
  24. A multimodal analysis of the online translanguaging practices of international students studying Chinese in a Chinese university
  25. Special Issue: Research Synthesis in Language Learning and Teaching; Guest Editors: Sin Wang Chong, Melissa Bond and Hamish Chalmers
  26. Editorial
  27. Opening the methodological black box of research synthesis in language education: where are we now and where are we heading?
  28. Research Article
  29. A typology of secondary research in Applied Linguistics
  30. Review Articles
  31. A scientometric analysis of applied linguistics research (1970–2022): methodology and future directions
  32. A systematic review of meta-analyses in second language research: current practices, issues, and recommendations
  33. Research Article
  34. Topics, publication patterns, and reporting quality in systematic reviews in language education. Lessons from the international database of education systematic reviews (IDESR)
  35. Review Article
  36. Bilingual education in China: a qualitative synthesis of research on models and perceptions
  37. Regular Issue Articles
  38. An interactional approach to speech acts for applied linguistics
  39. “Church is like a mini Korea”: the potential of migrant religious organisations for promoting heritage language maintenance
Jetzt anmelden und 20% sparen
Institutioneller Zugang
Wie funktioniert Authentifizierung?
Haben Sie eine Idee, wie wir unsere Website verbessern können?
Bitte schreiben Sie uns.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Heruntergeladen am 13.9.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/applirev-2022-0210/html
Button zum nach oben scrollen