The nexus of community development and entrepreneurship: A bibliometric analysis

Abstract

This study explores the intersection between community development and entrepreneurship through a bibliometric analysis approach. Community development is a vital process for improving societal well-being, and entrepreneurship, particularly social entrepreneurship, acts as a catalyst in this context by promoting economic resilience, social cohesion, and sustainable growth. Drawing on data extracted from the Scopus database between 1981 and 2025, the research analyzes 530 academic documents using Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny to uncover trends, key contributors, andthematic focuses within the literature. The findings highlight a growing scholarly interest in the relationship between entrepreneurship and community empowerment, particularly after 2022. The most frequently identified keywords include "community development," "entrepreneurship," and "sustainable development," underscoring their interconnectedness in current academic discourse. The study also identifies a concentration of research outputs in journals such as Community Development, as well as significant contributions from researchers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. International collaborations, particularly between Australia and China and the UK and Australia, are also notable. Thisanalysis highlights the evolving research landscape and underscores the need for a deeper investigation into underexplored areas, such as gender, migration, and creative entrepreneurship, within community contexts. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how entrepreneurial initiatives support sustainable community development and informs future policy and academic efforts aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).