Mapping AI in Social Sciences: A Bibliometric Study of Its Influence in Higher Education

Abstract

Purpose  

This study investigates the paradigm shift in higher education by examining the role of artificial intelligence (AI) as a crucial tool within the social sciences discipline. The research aims to identify key trends, influential publications, and leading contributors, co-occurrences of keywords, bibliographic coupling, co-citation & co-authorship analysis in AI research in higher education.

Design/Methodology/Approach  

A bibliometric analysis was conducted using a dataset of 762 published articles sourced from the Scopus database, covering the period from 2019 to 2023. The analysis focused exclusively on published articles, excluding queued to press, conference papers, and books to ensure the reliability and thorough originality of the findings.

Findings

The study reveals a significant increase in AI-related research within higher education during the analysed period. Key trends were identified, along with the most influential authors, institutions, and publications driving the field. The findings highlight the growing importance of AI in reshaping educational practices within the social sciences.

Limitations  

The research is constrained by its exclusive reliance on the Scopus database, which may have potentially missing relevant articles from other sources. Also, the focus on published articles omits emerging research presented in conference papers or books, potentially narrowing the scope of the analysis.