A bibliometric and visualization analysis of Islamic fund management research

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to provide bibliometric data from previously published research in Islamic fund management. Several categories, such as the most influential authors, the keywords and themes of the previously published research, were analyzed. Also, this paper provides a rigorous background for Islamic mutual funds research by synthesizing and reviewing the content of the previously published research to identify the gaps and provide future research direction. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from Scopus databases from the year 2007 until 2022. A total of 115 articles were found published over the period of 15 years. Three different software, namely, R-Studio, VOSviewer and Excel are used to analyze the data that depict, among others, the most impactful authors in the field, the top journals covering Islamic fund management research and the most cited document. Content analysis of the previously published research was also provided. Findings Publication in Islamic funds started gaining attention in the year 2012 and after. Collaborative works on Islamic funds are not strong yet among the contributory nations, although the USA and Malaysia contributed the highest number of publications. This study also found that there was a lack of research collaboration among authors in this research field, and most of the articles published were concentrated on the performance measurements of Islamic funds. Research limitations/implications Researchers might find the results of this paper useful, as they provide a comprehensive analysis of the previously published research in the field. Practical implications While these findings gave an overview of the intellectual structure of the research field, they also have the potential to inspire scholars working on Islamic funds research to collaborate on new research projects. Managers can also use this research to further enhance the emergence of Islamic fund management. Originality/value This is a comprehensive paper that examines previously published research in the field of Islamic fund management. The findings of this research benefit practitioners and researchers wishing to embark on research in this niche area.