Shadow banking: a bibliometric and content analysis

Abstract

This study reports on our systematic review of 2008–2021 literature on shadow banking. We present an overview of the shadow banking sector, wherein we discuss the definitions, evolution, functions, and specific activities that comprise it. We conducted a bibliometric analysis using the VOSviewer bibliometric tool on articles collected from the Scopus database, after which we conducted content analysis on top articles from leading sources, and identified four major streams of shadow banking literature. Additionally, we identified gaps in the literature and proposed seven research questions to be addressed in future studies to advance knowledge of the shadow banking sector. The findings of this review may serve as a robust reference for scholars researching various aspects of shadow banking to develop our understanding of this sector.