Transparency in Public Administration: A Global Bibliometric Review of the Last Decade of Research
Transparency in Public Administration: A Global Bibliometric Review of the Last Decade of Research

Summary/Abstract: This article presents a global bibliometric review of the academic literature on transparency in public administration from 2015 to 2025. Based on 615 peer-reviewed journal articles and review papers extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection and analyzed using quantitative bibliometric techniques (Bibliometrix and its Biblioshiny interface in R), the study maps publication trends, key authors and institutions, core journals, and emerging conceptual themes. The findings reveal a sustained growth in scholarly output, with peaks corresponding to global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the expansion of digital governance. Core concepts like open government, accountability and trust dominate the field, while new topics such as algorithmic transparency and AI-driven decision-making are gaining prominence. The United States leads in publication volume, while the Netherlands records the highest citation impact. Cocitation and keyword co-occurrence analyses reveal a research field that is both theoretically grounded and responsive to evolving governance challenges. This review contributes to ongoing academic and policy debates by offering empirical insight into how transparency is conceptualized, institutionalized and operationalized across diverse disciplinary and geographic contexts.

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