Knowledge sharing via social media in higher education: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to review the application of social media for knowledge sharing (KS) in higher education. KS is the most crucial component in knowledge management. Higher education institutions (HEIs) are the epitome of knowledge creation and acquisition. With the advancement in technology and the embracement of social media, knowledge should be shared more freely and easily.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a bibliometric analysis, this study applies bibliographic coupling and co-word analysis to analyze the present and future trends on KS using social media in HEIs. 455 journal publications and 21,181 cited references were retrieved from Web of Science (WoS) database.

Findings

Findings show that most themes are categorized towards academics and students. Themes related to academics are the use of social media for expertise sharing and KS's impact on university-industry networking. In contrast, themes related to students revolved around the impacts of social media and academic performance.

Practical implications

Implications towards major social media practices on KS are discussed.

Originality/value

This study provides a novel, state-of-the-art bibliometric review of knowledge sharing via social media in the higher education context.

Citation

Fauzi, M.A., Mohamad, F. and Abdul Wahab, N. (2024), "Knowledge sharing via social media in higher education: a bibliometric analysis", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. 16 No. 5, pp. 1420-1437. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-02-2023-0077