Mapping research trends on disruptive technologies in public administration: A bibliometric approach

Abstract—The recent trends and challenges emphasize the
need to exploit the potential of disruptive technologies in
public administration. Accordingly, the main aim of the
paper is to examine this issue over the last two decades. The
results of bibliometric analysis on 3595 documents from
Scopus reveal the growth of disruptive technologies research
in public administration over time, especially in the last
decade, as accelerated by several of the most relevant
documents published in reputable journals such as
Government Information Quarterly, Sustainable Cities and
Society and Sustainability by several prominent authors.
Most research has been conducted in the United States,
followed by the United Kingdom and China and focused
especially on artificial intelligence, followed by the internet
of things, social media and blockchain, with the smart city
being an important concept in disruptive technologies
research in public administration. Finally, the results
suggest that different public administration areas have
different implications for disruptive technologies. The
findings may be of benefit to not only the scientific
community to serve as an important source for detecting
associated research gaps but also to evidence-based
policymaking to fully address the issues related to disruptive
technologies in public administration in the future.