Abstract
This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to map the global research landscape on microcredit and poverty alleviation, addressing the central question: What are the global research trends and intellectual structures within this field? The analysis follows a systematic approach guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework to ensure transparency and replicability. A total of 257 Scopus-indexed publications from 1996 to 2026 were examined. To ensure analytical robustness, the study employed Harzing’s Publish or Perish (PoP) and OpenRefine to extract and refine citation metrics, facilitating the calculation of key indicators such as the h-index, g-index, citation counts, and average citations per paper (Harzing, 2007). The study also employs VOSviewer to examine publication patterns, co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence, and network visualization. In addition, the results reveal a steady increase in publications since 2017, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and digital financial inclusion initiatives. World Development, Journal of Development Studies, and Economic and Political Weekly emerged as the most active source titles. Citation analysis demonstrates a mature intellectual structure, with highly cited works such as Karlan and Zinman (2011) and Crépon et al. (2015) highlighting a methodological shift toward causal inference. Collectively, the findings underscore the field’s evolution toward interdisciplinary, evidence-based inquiry that continues to shape global poverty alleviation discourse.
Keywords
- Microcredit Search this journal for Microcredit (opens in a new tab)
- Poverty Alleviation Search this journal for Poverty Alleviation (opens in a new tab)
- Financial Inclusion Search this journal for Financial Inclusion (opens in a new tab)
- Bibliometric Analysis Search this journal for Bibliometric Analysis (opens in a new tab)
- Sustainable Development Search this journal for Sustainable Development (opens in a new tab)
References
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Copyright (c) 2025 Zuraidah Mohamed Isa, Zaiful Affendi Ahmad Zabib, Rini Lestari, Afida Ahmad (Author)
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Keywords
- Microcredit Search this journal for Microcredit (opens in a new tab)
- Poverty Alleviation Search this journal for Poverty Alleviation (opens in a new tab)
- Financial Inclusion Search this journal for Financial Inclusion (opens in a new tab)
- Bibliometric Analysis Search this journal for Bibliometric Analysis (opens in a new tab)
- Sustainable Development Search this journal for Sustainable Development (opens in a new tab)
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Vol. 17 No. 4(I) (2025)
Circular Economy, Civic Technology & Social Innovation
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