More than two decades of community of inquiry research: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis

Abstract

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) has provided a useful tool for studying technology-enhanced learning environments. It has also been implemented as the theoretical framework for many types of relevant research. Since its development, the framework has generated substantial interest among scholars in many fields such as distance education, online and blended learning and computed-mediated instruction. Although extensive research has been carried out on the CoI, no single study has been conducted that statistically and mathematically examines all publications of the framework. This study aimed to comprehensively review more than two decades of publications on the CoI framework by applying the bibliometric analysis technique. Therefore, all the corresponding Scopus records (in total 5169) in the past 24 years (1999-2023) were analyzed using the VOSviewer, Bibliometrix, and CiteSpace tools. The study described various essential research indicators, such as the research categories (directions), most productive authors, journals, institutions, and countries, along with potential research hotspots. The thematic analysis highlighted the research themes that have attracted scholars in the field by visualization of the current CoI research landscape.