Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research Trends in Inclusive Education

Abstract

Inclusive education, which aims to provide equal learning opportunities for all students regardless of their abilities or disabilities, has gained considerable attention globally.  This study presents bibliometric analysis of literature on inclusive education, providing a comprehensive overview of research trends, influential publications, key authors, and collaborative networks within this domain.  Using comprehensive database search, the study analyses scholarly articles published in the Scopus database, employing bibliometric techniques such as citation analysis, co-authorship networks, and keyword co-occurrence mapping. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using data from prominent academic databases. This study utilizes bibliometric tools to examine scholarly discourse on inclusive education, identifying key themes, influential authors, and global research collaborations.  Publications were analyzed based on metrics such as the number of publications, citation counts, authorship patterns, and geographical distribution.  The findings reveal the evolution of research on inclusive education, highlighting significant shifts in focus areas, emerging themes, and the geographical distribution of research contributions. The analysis revealed a steady increase in publications on inclusive education over past two decades, with a notable surge in the last five years. Influential authors and seminal works were highlighted, along with leading journals and institutions contributing to this field.  The study also identified emerging trends and under-researched areas that warrant further exploration.  This study used the Scopus database, specifically using biblioMagika®2.9.  Therefore, the articles related to inclusive education in other databases were not included.  This study is essential because it can help researchers focus their time on exploring topics that have not been thoroughly investigated.