Using author co-citation analysis to examine the intellectual structure of e-learning: A MIS perspective

The increased use of e-learning techniques as an accepted form of teaching has resulted in a growing volume of academic research dedicated to their assessment. Despite the importance of the technique, there is little comprehensive knowledge on e-learning, especially in non-educational fields. Author co-citation analysis (ACA) is an analytical method for identifying the intellectual structure of specific knowledge domains through the relationship between two similar authors. ACA has been applied to many fields, such as information retrieval, knowledge management, and strategic management; however, it has not yet been used to analyze e-learning development. This study examines the intellectual structure of e-learning from the perspective of management information systems (MIS). By applying the ACA method, we analyze and categorize international and Taiwanese research topics into clusters. Our results show that Taiwanese authors put more effort into practical studies of business training, while international authors focus on a users’ psychological reaction to learning context. Altogether, our research provides a clear intellectual analysis of e-learning practices from 1996 to 2009, enabling us to thoroughly study and understand the influence of these techniques on modern education.