A bibliometric analysis of digital maturity and digital transformation at universities

Abstract This paper employs bibliometric reviews to explore the trends in the digital transformation of universities (their application of all relevant types of digital technologies). This study offers an overview of the development of the literature on digital technologies-university nexus over time: while people started paying attention to the application of digital technology in the early 1970s, only after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic did this nexus arouse special interests from relevant stakeholders. Results from bibliometric analysis (applied to Scopus database) also reveals interesting findings about authors and countries. Authors from developed nations (with advanced level of digital technology development and modern education system) are the most influential (in terms of citations). However, the majority of documents come from developing countries (which probably reflects their efforts to avoid being left behind). Several implications and future research directions are given for relevant stakeholders including the maintenance and facilitation of digital transformation, the need for deeper investigation of the impact of artificial intelligence tools or the necessity of quantifying these effects.