A Scientometric Review of Research Trends in Language Assessment Literacy

Abstract

This study provides a scientometric review of language assessment literacy (LAL) research published in the Web of Science (WoS) core collection between 2008, when LAL was first indexed as a combined phrase, and 2021. Six comprehensive analyses were conducted utilizing CiteSpace: publication and cited trends, dual-map overlay, most cited papers, co-authorship, co-occurrence, and co-citation. Results showed that the annual publications have shown a fluctuating upward trend that has undergone three stages: the initial (2008–2012), fluctuated (2013–2017), and steadily increasing stages (2018–2021). Professional conferences in language assessment and testing have significantly contributed to these development stages and are closely related to stage-critical milestones. “Teacher” appears as one of the most frequently researched stakeholder groups, and research on other stakeholders, especially students, has increased. “Psychology” and “Education” are major areas for both citing and cited journals and provide a solid foundation for LAL research. However, the interdisciplinary nature of LAL research still leaves room for exploration. This study provides a reference point for future research by identifying trends in LAL research and comparing existing studies. Furthermore, when authors and author linkage networks are used to build a research network, multi-dimensional indicators should be considered to guarantee the completeness of the network.