Developments in the knowledge-based economy research field: a bibliometric literature review

Abstract

This study aims to synthesize and organize existing the knowledge in the knowledge-based economy (KBE) research field. Using the Web of Science Core Collection, this study conducts a bibliometric literature review of 1228 articles published from 1991 to 2020. The results reveal the research evolution and identify some of the field’s most active and influential articles, journals, and authors. Moreover, this analysis enhances the understanding of the research field’s conceptual and intellectual structure based on a global overview of the relevant literature and its authors. The bibliometric analysis also reveals seven thematic clusters: (1) KBE fundamentals, (2) knowledge management, (3) knowledge work, (4) knowledge generation, (5) knowledge environments, (6) new post-capitalism, and (7) KBE reconceptualization. These clusters provide a holistic view of the field and, in so doing, facilitate future research by providing a research map as to guide the advancement of the existing knowledge on this topic. Based on the bibliometric and content analyses, some future research avenues have been proposed to provide clues for this task.