A bibliometric analysis of humanitarian logistics

Abstract

Recent years have seen a surge in interest in humanitarian logistics (HL) research. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 894 HL-related studies. The publications were chosen using a combination of keywords from their titles, abstracts and author-supplied keywords from the leading database Scopus. The publications were classified according to their publication year, country of origin, type of publication, most relevant journals, and most influential authors. The review’s findings indicate that over a four-decade period, HL research progressed through three distinct stages. In terms of national contribution, the United States of America leads with the most studies published on HL. Additionally, the HL literature is advanced primarily through academic journal articles. The Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management is the leading journal in the field, with 148 articles published. The study makes a significant contribution by providing relevant analysis that may inform and guide scholars and researchers as they explore the evolution of HL research and foster networking and collaboration opportunities across multiple institutions.