The Research Landscape of Ageism and Language: A Systematic and Bibliometric Review (2015–2025)

Population aging has intensified interest in ageism, particularly in language and communication. This systematic review examined 87 peer-reviewed articles (2015-2025), aiming to identify publication trends and the methodological approaches used to analyze the relationship between language and ageism. First, a descriptive analysis of publication patterns was conducted to determine the evolution of research output and the main disciplinary areas involved. Then, a qualitative synthesis was performed to identify the dominant themes, methodological approaches, and key discursive perspectives of the reviewed studies. The results show a clear increase in publications after 2022. The field is characterized by its multidisciplinary nature, although a consolidated interdisciplinary framework is still lacking. Two main trends were identified: attention to institutional and interpersonal forms of ageism in professional and media contexts, and increased interest in intersectional approaches that examine how ageism interacts with gender, health conditions, and cultural context. Overall, the findings indicate that research on ageist language is gaining ground, although significant gaps persist in digital and workplace settings. These results highlight the need to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and promote policies that foster more inclusive representations of aging.