A bibliometric content analysis of do-it-yourself (DIY) science: where to from here for management research?

Abstract

Do-it-yourself (DIY) science research is currently in an expansion phase both in terms of its depth (with an increasing number of papers published each year) and its scope (with the core ideas being linked to an increasing number of constructs). To develop a more holistic appreciation of how the field has developed and to identify potential avenues of future research we undertake a bibliometric content analysis of the DIY science literature post 1980. We find four major clusters pertaining to education, culture, the operationalising of DIY science (including commercialisation) and technology-related issues. We review each of these clusters and the main themes contained within the cluster, including highlighting possible research questions that align to these key themes. We find the field to be highly dispersed theoretically on the basis of the bibliometric content analysis. In considering a range of sample papers in each thematic cluster, we identify a range of potential research topics going forward. Identifying the key thematic foci of DIY science research to date provides the researchers within the field the opportunity to clearly locate their work within a highly diverse literature and to build new research trajectories around core concepts.