Mapping Financial Sustainability Research in Islamic and Conventional Banking Through a Bibliometric Comparative Analysis

Abstract

Financial sustainability has become a central concern in contemporary banking, particularly with the growing integration of ESG principles and regulatory reforms. Although both Islamic and conventional banking systems are frequently examined in relation to sustainability, the intellectual structure and comparative evolution of this research field remain insufficiently clarified. Existing studies often focus on specific dimensions such as governance, performance, or green finance without systematically mapping how sustainability-related knowledge has developed across banking models. This study addresses this gap through a bibliometric comparative analysis of 629 Scopus-indexed publications published between 2010 and 2025. Using VOSviewer version 1.6.20, we analysed publication trends, influential contributors, and keyword co-occurrence networks to identify dominant research themes in financial sustainability within Islamic and conventional banking literature. The results reveal five major thematic clusters and highlight differences in research emphasis between the two models, particularly regarding ethical finance, ESG, and financial stability. The model-specific networks further show that conventional banking research is broader and more thematically differentiated, whereas Islamic and participative banking research forms a smaller but denser network centered on Shariah-compliant instruments, social finance, financial inclusion, and ethical sustainability. By mapping the intellectual structure of this field, the study provides a clearer understanding of how sustainability research is evolving across banking systems and identifies directions for future research.