Research Assessment on the Extreme Social Events in Africa—Evidence from a Bibliometric Analysis Using Web of Science and CiteSpace

This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to review the literature on extreme social events (ESEs) within African regions. The study aims to understand the research landscape, trends, gaps, and opportunities in the field of ESEs in Africa. Employing bibliometric methodology and leveraging the Web of Science database and CiteSpace software, this analysis systematically examines a substantial corpus of 1446 scholarly articles. This methodology facilitates an exploration of the evolution of ESE-related publications from 1965 to 2021, identifying four distinct periods of research development: a latent period (1965–1985), a period above latent (1986–1997), a period of interest (1998–2005), and a significant rise in publication counts (2005–2021). The analysis encompasses various co-citation networks, including journals, countries, research topics, keywords, documents, and authors, offering insights into the field’s influential works and interconnected themes. Noteworthy findings include the prominence of real-time field studies as a research approach and innovation within ESE research. Leading journals publishing ESE-related works include World Development, Journal of Peace Research, and American Economic Review. The study reveals that the USA, England, South Africa, Nigeria, Germany, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, France, and Kenya are at the forefront of ESE research in Africa. This research proposes future research directions, particularly in the underexplored field of African technological innovation. It underscores the limited participation of African researchers within the continent, emphasizing the importance of more local studies in this critical area. The study’s uniqueness lies in its robust methodology and analysis, providing unique insights for researchers and policymakers. It advances knowledge and sets the groundwork for future research and policy actions.