Global Academic Libraries Research: A Scientometric Analysis of 100 Most Cited Papers

Abstract

This scientometric study investigates the thematic distribution and research focus of the top 100 most highly cited papers on academic libraries to identify key subject areas, emerging trends, and influential contributions in this domain. A total of 16,348 records were retrieved from the Scopus database, covering publications from 1964 to 2024. From this corpus, the 100 most-cited documents were selected and subjected to detailed scientometric analysis using Microsoft Excel for data organisation, Biblioshny for bibliometric indicators and thematic classification, and VOSviewer for network visualisation. The analysis revealed that Library Services is the most dominant research theme, accounting for 18% of the highly cited literature, with a frequent focus on Web 2.0 tools, innovative service models and AI-based applications. User Information Behaviour followed at 16%, reflecting a strong emphasis on user needs and satisfaction. Other prominent categories included the Role of Libraries (11%), Library Staff (10%), Social Media Platforms (8%), and Information Literacy (7%). Emerging technical themes such as Recommender Systems, Library Evaluation, and Research Data Management each accounted for 6–7% of the corpus. In contrast, traditional topics such as Library Infrastructure, Search Techniques, and Collection Development received comparatively limited attention, suggesting a shift in scholarly focus. The findings demonstrate a clear transition toward user-centred, digitally integrated, and strategically adaptive research in academic librarianship. The prominence of these themes in highly cited papers underscores their relevance across institutional contexts and highlights their foundational role in shaping future directions for library and information science research.