A scientometric analysis of digital library adoption over the past 30 years: Models, trends, and research directions

Abstract

This paper discusses the present state of the art and forthcoming directions of digital library adoption (DLA) research over the past 30 years. By means of scientometric analysis, we synthesize 216 articles and conference papers published between 1992 and 2022 using visualization maps of prolific contributions, co-citation, co-occurrence, and thematic networks. The analysis reveals important findings concerning research evolution, models and theories, intellectual foundations, emerging streams, frontiers, and hotspots that inform DLA decisions. Moreover, the paper highlights future DLA research opportunities through addressing scarcely observed areas in the field. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt that comprehensively oversees the breadth and depth of the DLA research over a long-time span.