Mapping University Knowledge Management: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Knowledge management is becoming an increasingly important and popular research topic. Overall, higher education institutions do not have a dedicated knowledge management system, but in recent years there has been an increasing focus on knowledge management in higher education, as higher education institutions need to manage knowledge effectively to meet current educational challenges and needs. Knowledge management in higher education is a set of processes and tools that collect, structure, capture, store and share knowledge in higher education institutions so that it can be used by learners, teachers and managers. The research aims to undertake a comprehensive survey and review of the literature in the field of knowledge management in higher education. It also aims to map and analyse in detail the thematic scope of related research. In doing so, the research will provide an extensive insight into the context of knowledge management in higher education and current research directions. In my analysis, I chose the framework provided by the PRISMA method, as it guides the process from the first step of data collection to the last step of data processing. Using the PRISMA method, a systematic literature review is conducted, the relevant literature on the topic is listed, summarised and analysed. The analysis is based on the search rules predefined by the author, and the Web of Science database was used as a bibliometric data source for sampling the research, to examine publication trends in higher education knowledge management research. The research sample (N = 967) consisted of publications with the terms 'university' and 'knowledge management' in their titles, and after selection, analyses were performed on a sample of 100 items. VOSviewer software was used to support the analysis process and visualize the results. The literature review results in a comprehensive information table summarising and grouping knowledge management research in higher education according to a rule defined by the author. The results of this research provide a starting point for researchers interested in the field, identify research gaps and identify possible further research directions.