Mapping of Global literature on Digital Divide in Education: A Scientometrics Analysis Based on Scopus Database

Abstract

Education is of vital importance for the development and growth of a society. Due to the advancement in educational technologies, there have been significant changes in teaching and learning processes. The digital divide has impacted significantly on teaching and learning, at present, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering this transformation, a scientometric analysis of the global literature on the digital divide in education was conducted in this study. The bibliographic data was gathered through the Scopus database for the period 2001–2021, and a total of 1865 publications were retrieved. VOSviewer and Gephi visualization software were used to analyze data and create network maps. The findings revealed that the average number of citations per paper (ACPP) for the study period is 15.51, and the relative citation impact (RCI) ranges from 0.21 in 2003 to 19.81 in 2021. Among published articles, the contribution of co-authors is greater than that of single authors. Furthermore, the United States was the leading country, with 613 publications on the digital divide. With 11 publications on the digital divide in education, Pick, J.B., from the School of Business, University of Redlands, United States, was the most prolific author. It is believed that these findings would benefit researchers worldwide, as scientometric mapping is an exciting method that provides a comprehensive overview of a scientific issue and insights for future research.