COMMUNICATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH TRENDS AND KNOWLEDGE NETWORKS (2016–2026)

Abstract

This study examines the evolution of Communication for Sustainable Development (CSD) through a bibliometric analysis of 514 publications indexed in the Dimensions database between 2017 and 2026. The findings reveal a significant increase in scholarly output, peaking in 2025, alongside the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), growing concerns over climate change, and ongoing digital transformation. Citation analysis indicates that the intellectual foundations of the field remain rooted in development communication while increasingly incorporating sustainability-oriented perspectives. Knowledge network analysis reveals strong intellectual convergence despite relatively limited author collaboration. Thematic analysis identifies six major research clusters: sustainability communication, climate and environmental communication, development communication, digital communication, stakeholder engagement and governance, and SDGs communication. The study further identifies five defining dimensions of an emerging CSD paradigm: community participation, multi-stakeholder collaboration, digital communication, sustainability governance, and climate change communication. These findings suggest that CSD has evolved into an interdisciplinary paradigm that positions communication as a constitutive mechanism of sustainability transitions.