Trends and Patterns on Religious Intolerance Research: A Bibliometric Analysis

Numerous academics worldwide have been conducting research on religious intolerance (RI), and the level of work has increased since the 1990s. However, no prior research has employed bibliometric analysis to map this field. The objective of the bibliometric mapping of RI entails trends of publication, top and influential journals, top citation, top and influential countries, co-authorship between the countries, top and influential institutions. Data was obtained from the WOS database and analysed using frequency through Excel. To visualise influential journal, citation, co-authorship and overall link strength, VosViewer data analysis was used. The study found a consistent rise in the publication of research on RI between 2006 and 2017, with a significant peak in 2020. Religions emerged as the most influential journal, followed by Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion and Politics and Religion. The United States leads in RI research, followed by Australia and the United Kingdom. The University of California System, University of London, and Bar Ilan University are the top-cited institutions, with Bar Ilan University being the most influential. The study highlights the dominance of Western perspectives in RI research. Therefore, future research should incorporate a more diverse range of perspectives, particularly from Asian scholars that will provide comprehensive understanding of religious intolerance on a global scale.