Mapping the evolution of ethical standards in trading: A bibliometric analysis

Amid concerns about financial social responsibility, the significance of ethical standards in trading has grown. Recent years have seen increased focus on exploring diverse ethics in trading, from fundamental principles to cutting-edge techniques. Our objective is to shed light on the state of ethics in trading through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 3010 research articles published between 1976 and 2022, drawing data from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS). This analysis includes identifying publications, examining co-authorship patterns, determining top countries in scientific output, analyzing citations, exploring influential journals, and assessing keyword co-occurrence. Recurring themes mirror the academic progression of ethics in trading, especially regarding new technologies like high-frequency trading, offering insights for future research. Two standout considerations are the ethical implications of short selling in high-frequency trading and ethical management in commodity trading, linked to the evolving landscape of social responsibility in trade management.