Mapping research visibility in Islamic banking: an altmetric perspective on scholarly attention and digital engagement

The study explores research visibility beyond conventional citation metrics in Islamic banking research. It focuses on online attention and broader research impact. The study uses a positivist philosophy, an archival strategy, a mono-method quantitative design, and a longitudinal horizon. We extract the data from the Dimensions database and screen using PRISMA 2020. The final sample includes 225 ABDC-indexed articles from 78 journals published between 1986 and 2024. Spearman correlation, bibliographic coupling, and descriptive analysis were conducted using SPSS 27, VOSviewer, and Excel. Publication output increased substantially after the mid-2000s. Citation impact peaked in 2016, while altmetric attention increased during 2021–2023. NCIT shows a strong positive association with Mendeley readership (ρ = 0.753) and a moderate positive association with NAAS (ρ = 0.632). X (formerly Twitter) and Mendeley are the dominant platforms. Five thematic clusters represent the intellectual structure of Islamic banking research. The findings support the use of multiple indicators to assess research visibility and impact.