Reconciling qualitative and quantitative approaches within bibliometrics

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address common critiques of modern literature reviews, particularly those based on bibliometrics, that often fail to adequately advance theory. It provides details about a structured hybrid methodology that bridges the gap between quantitative analysis and qualitative synthesis to produce higher-quality academic work. Design/methodology/approach – This study outlines a comprehensive, three-stage hybrid methodology that integrates bibliometrics, content analysis and integrative analysis. The authors delineate a step-by-step procedure for each stage, including the use of modern software tools, to ensure the process is transparent and reproducible for scholars. Findings – The authors find that bibliometric reviews alone result in poor-quality outcomes that might create a skew in the knowledge landscape. This outcome hinders the ability of reviews to make meaningful theoretical contributions and suggests the need for a more integrated approach. Originality/value – While the hybrid approach is not new, this paper makes a unique contribution by clearly outlining a parsimonious and accessible framework that has been successfully applied, often implicitly, in high-quality reviews that advance theory. This work serves as a guide for a wider range of scholars to conduct more rigorous and impactful literature reviews.