Exploring Social Media Research Trends in Malaysia using Bibliometric Analysis and Topic Modelling

Abstract

This study explores the evolving dynamics of social media research in Malaysia. The main objective is to identify trends and patterns in research, specifically examining the volume and focus of scholarly articles over the last decade. Using bibliometric analysis and topic modelling, the study identifies major research clusters and key themes like digital marketing, political communication, and public health, and to map out collaborations among researchers. The findings show a significant increase in social media-related studies, highlighting a trend towards more varied and complex topics. This includes a greater emphasis on social media's role in political communication, consumer behaviour, and crisis management. Looking forward, this study suggests that future studies should explore the applications of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) on social media practices, assess the spread and impact of negative information such as fake news and hate speech, and extend cross-disciplinary methodologies to fully understand the extensive effects of social media.