Scientometric Study of the Progress and Development of e-Government Research During the Period 2000–2012

Abstract

Many countries have implemented changes in public-sector management models, based on the strategic and intensive use of new information and communication technologies. From a critical standpoint, this paper analyzes and characterizes the contributions made by research in the field of e-government, identifying future areas of interest and potentially valuable methodologies. In addition, it compares research efforts focused on developing countries with those concerning developed economies, in order to identify research gaps and possibilities for improvement in the context of e-government research in developing countries. Diverse scientometric approaches are employed in this analysis of papers published by international journals listed in the SSCI index in the fields of Public Administration and of Information Science & Library Science. Our findings reveal the existence of various research gaps and highlight areas that should be addressed in future research, especially in developing countries. Indeed, the research approach to e-government remains immature, focusing on particular cases or dimensions, while little has been done to produce theories or models to clarify and explain the political processes of e-government. In addition, significant differences are found between the impact of scientific output and patterns of scientific production as regards developing and developed countries.

Keywords:

• e-government research
• scientometric study
• developing vs. developed countries
• future research

Funding

This research was carried out with financial support from the Regional Government of Andalusia (Spain), Department of Innovation, Science and Enterprise (Research Project No. P11-SEJ-7700) and from the Spanish National R&D Plan through research project number ECO2010-20522-ECON (Ministry of Science and Innovation).

Notes on contributors

Manuel Pedro Rodríguez Bolívar is Associated Professor at the University of Granada. His research interests are mainly focused on e-government, on the international public-sector accounting and on social responsibility. He has authored numerous articles in international journals, including Public Money & Management, Government Information Quarterly, Public Administration and Development, Online Information Review, International Review of Administrative Sciences, American Review of Public Administration, ABACUS, International Public Management Journal, Academia Revista Latinoamericana de Administración (ARLA), Revista CLAD. Reforma y Democracia, Environmental Education Research and Administration and Society. He has also been the author of several book chapters published by prestigious international publishers such as Kluwer Academic Publishers, Routledge, Springer and IGI Global, and is the author of full-length books published by the Ministry of Economy and Finance in Spain. He is an international reviewer and an associate editor of international journals and books.

Laura Alcaide Muñoz attained PhD at the University of Granada. Her research interests are focused on financial reporting disclosures in public administrations, level of information transparency and incentives to promote open government. She has authored numerous articles in international journals, including International Journal of Digital Research Accounting and Administration and Society. She has been also the author of book chapters published by Routledge and IGI Global.

Antonio M. López Hernández is Professor at the University of Granada. His research interests are mainly focused on public management and on financial disclosures carried out by central and local governments. He has authored numerous articles in international journals, including Government Information Quarterly, International Review of Administrative Sciences, American Review of Public Administration, Online Information Review, Public Administration and Development, Public Money & Management, International Public Management Journal, Environmental Education Research and Public Management Review. He has also been the author of several book chapters published by Kluwer Academic Publishers, Routledge, Springer and IGI Global.