About the B-SLR Framework

A rise in bibliometric and systematic literature reviews has accompanied the increasing volume of academic research. Scholars have started merging bibliometric analyses with systematic literature reviews in recent years. However, these combined approaches often relied on fragmented methodologies needing a unified framework. With the "Bibliometric-Systematic Literature Review" (B-SLR) framework, we propose a guide for conducting multi-method literature reviews that merge bibliometric analyses, systematic literature reviews, and theory development.
The B-SLR framework comprehends a 10-step process, detailing critical decisions and best practices at each stage to assist researchers in producing meaningful and theoretically grounded literature reviews. The B-SLR is a toolkit adaptable to a wide range of research aims, whether for reviewing existing literature, developing theories, mapping future research directions, or connecting disparate topics. It emphasizes critical analysis, timeliness, comprehensive coverage, methodological rigour, coherence, and the originality of contributions, with a focus on generating novel and relevant theoretical insights.