Mapping the evolution of entrepreneurship as a field of research (1990-2013): A scientometric analysis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 13; no. 1; p. e0190228
• Main Author: Chandra, Yanto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.01.2018; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Bibliometrics; Biology and Life Sciences; Citation analysis; Citations; Cocitation; Convergence and divergence; Divergence; Entrepreneurship; Evolution; Informetrics; Innovations; Interdisciplinary aspects; Internet; Mapping; Research and Analysis Methods; Researchers; Scholars; Science Policy; Scientometrics; Social Sciences; Specialization; Spirituality; Studies; Synthetic biology; Theory
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190228

This article applies scientometric techniques to study the evolution of the field of entrepreneurship between 1990 and 2013. Using a combination of topic mapping, author and journal co-citation analyses, and overlay visualization of new and hot topics in the field, this article makes important contribution to the entrepreneurship research by identifying 46 topics in the 24-year history of entrepreneurship research and demonstrates how they appear, disappear, reappear and stabilize over time. It also identifies five topics that are persistent across the 24-year study period--institutions and institutional entrepreneurship, innovation and technology management, policy and development, entrepreneurial process and opportunity, and new ventures--which I labeled as The Pentagon of Entrepreneurship. Overall, the analyses revealed patterns of convergence and divergence and the diversity of topics, specialization, and interdisciplinary engagement in entrepreneurship research, thus offering the latest insights on the state of the art of the field.