Mapping the research on halal industry: a retrospective analysis

Purpose This review paper aims to provide a comprehensive retrospective analysis of the research landscape in the Halal industry through a threefold approach, including bibliometric analysis, latent theme identification and examination of driving factors of research citations. Design/methodology/approach A total of 2,510 research documents, identified from the Scopus through a systematic search, were considered for review. The review methods included bibliometric analysis of the domain, application of the machine learning structural topic modeling (STM) to identify latent themes and negative binomial regression to estimate the impact of paper, author and geographical characteristics on citation rates. Findings In addition to bibliometric insights, the STM uncovered 10 key topics within the Halal industry literature, including certification processes, dietary practices, consumer behavior, ethical considerations, supply chain management, market dynamics, Halal tourism, verification methods, regulatory frameworks and Halal food production and marketing. Positive associations with citation rates were found for abstract length, number of keywords, paper age, number of references, funding, number of authors and international collaboration, while a negative association was observed for authorship from Malaysia. Originality/value This paper, besides providing insights into research dynamics and citation patterns, also guides future research avenues in the Halal industry.