Trends in Public Administration Research in Indonesia: A Bibliographic Study

Abstract

Research on Public Administration in Indonesia has evolved substantially over the past two decades, driven by the increasing complexity of governance challenges, the digitalization of the public sector, and the increasing demand for evidence-based policymaking. This research aims to map the evolution, thematic structure, and intellectual landscape of Public Administration research in Indonesia through a comprehensive bibliographic analysis. Using publication data extracted from the Scopus database for the period 2000–2024, the study applied bibliometric techniques, including descriptive performance analysis, keyword co-occurrence mapping, co-authorship networks, and thematic evolution analysis. VOSviewer and Bibliometrix are used to visualize structural patterns and research clusters. The results reveal a significant increase in publication volumes starting in 2015, followed by a noticeable shift in research orientation towards digital governance, public service innovation, collaborative governance, and performance management. Four main thematic clusters are identified, reflecting growing scientific interests in policy governance and implementation, innovation and service delivery, digital transformation, and inter-organizational collaboration. Network visualizations show that research productivity is concentrated in a small number of Indonesian universities, despite the increasing international collaboration. This analysis also shows a transition from normative and descriptive research to a more empirical and data-driven approach. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the intellectual development of Public Administration in Indonesia and highlight some gaps in areas such as equity, evaluation frameworks, and evidence-based policies. Future research should expand methodological diversity and enhance interdisciplinary collaboration to strengthen the theoretical and practical impact of the field.