Four decades of hijab research: knowledge structure, thematic evolution and collaborative networks

Purpose This study aims to explore the hijab research impactful authors, influential journals, collaboration networks and emerging trends. In addition, keyword co-occurrence techniques are used to scrutinize the field's major schools of thought. Design/methodology/approach Hijab research has witnessed a distinct proliferation during the past decade. In this article, the authors apply bibliometric network techniques to examine the conceptual/intellectual structure of this domain based on 485 Web of Science documents written by 848 authors representing 66 nations and spanning almost 40 years (1984-2021). Findings Results show that the most impactful journals publishing hijab research are Women's Studies International Forum, Gender, Place and Culture, Ethnic and Racial Studies and the Journal of Islamic Marketing. Results also show that the author collaboration network in hijab research is sparse. Furthermore, results related to collaborative networks between institutions and countries reveal a global "North-South" schism between developed and developing nations. Finally, the multiple correspondence analysis applied to obtain the hijab research conceptual map reflects the depth and breadth of the field's foci. Originality/value The present analysis has far-reaching implications for aspiring researchers interested in hijab research as the authors retrospectively trace the evolution in research output over the past four decades, establish linkages between the authors and articles and reveal trending topics/hotspots within the broad theme of hijab research.