Science Mapping as a Learning-by-Doing Educational Technology Tool for Doctoral Education: A PhD Literature Review Experience Based on Science Mapping

The dynamic and fast-growing research literature is currently decreasing research student ability to pinpoint the relevant information and easily develop critical reflectivity. This article describes the experience of a beginner doctoral researcher using science mapping to perform efficiently a comprehensive literature review. The reported review includes the methodological steps, lessons learned, and difficulties faced under challenging review conditions: lack of any third-party support, lack of bibliometric training, and lack of reviewer research experience. The reported experience showed positive results in term of efficiency, rigor, time/effort, and learning value and highlighted how the process induced in the doctoral researcher self-learning, innovative thinking, reflectivity, and a push for novelty comparing to classical literature reviews. This experience successfully assesses science mapping as an educational technology tool for reviewing literature for lay researchers. The paper is a call to disseminate science mapping in doctoral courses as a learning-by-doing educational approach for literature reviews.