Mapping the landscape of Library and Information Science in North Africa and Europe: A comparative bibliometric analysis using OpenAlex and DOAJ

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of scholarly publications in Library and Information Science (LIS) originating from North Africa between 2020 and 2025. Focusing on open-access journals indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), the research examines publication growth, authorship patterns, institutional collaboration, and the geographic distribution of contributing scholars. Data were retrieved from and integrated across OpenAlex and DOAJ, with supplementary validation using Scopus, ensuring a comprehensive and transparent dataset. The study encompasses five North African countries—Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. The findings reveal patterns of knowledge production and collaborative networks, while critically examining the structural limitations that constrain LIS scholarly visibility and research capacity in the region. Notably, the analysis uncovers significant disparities in journal production across North African countries, with Egypt accounting for the majority of indexed journals, and documents substantial gaps when compared with European LIS publication output. This research contributes to understanding regional dynamics in LIS research and identifies structural barriers that constrain the dissemination of open-access research across the region. We argue that observed disparities reflect both adaptive strategies to local constraints and systemic inequalities that require targeted policy interventions.