Investigating the trends in arctic research: The increasing role of social sciences and humanities

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 729; p. 139027
• Main Authors: Biresselioglu, Mehmet Efe, Demir, Muhittin Hakan, Solak, Berfu, Kayacan, Altan, Altinci, Sebnem
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 10-08-2020
• Subjects: Arctic region; Bibliometric analysis; Research themes; Semantic clustering; VOSviewer; Bibliometric analysis; Research themes; Arctic region; VOSviewer; Semantic clustering
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139027

The Arctic Region experienced a series of significant changes due to shifting climate conditions, resulting in multiple opportunities and challenges for international actors, and encouraging both Arctic and non-Arctic states to promote their own national interests. Hence, the region has become a global priority, and a focus of scientific studies across the Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines. This study systematically analyses the literature on the Arctic Region, conducting a multidimensional bibliometric analysis and content analysis on the basis of semantic clustering. The purpose of the analysis is to determine future Arctic-related research themes. The study follows a three-level research framework. The first level of the analysis highlights a disciplinary shift in the Arctic literature from Natural Sciences towards Social Sciences and Humanities, particularly, focusing on the environment, technology, political and energy-related issues. The second level identifies 9 research themes which are validated in the third level. The third level reveals the most prominent terms and prioritized research areas in the Arctic literature, namely, Governance, Security Issues, Economic Factors, Legal Issues, Energy and Natural Resources, Logistics, Climate Change and Environment, Technology, and Socio-cultural and Ethnic Issues.
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•A multidimensional bibliometric analysis for Arctic-related research is applied.•Research themes pertaining to the Arctic Region are identified and clustered, along with their links.•The shift in research domains towards Social Sciences and Humanities Research is demonstrated.•Nine main Arctic-related research themes in Social Sciences and Humanities Research and their subthemes are identified.