Mapping information literacy research during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review and bibliometric analysis

Purpose This study aims to map information literacy (IL) research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2023), focusing on productivity patterns, trends, collaborative structures and dominant themes across the IL-COVID literature. Design/methodology/approach Using a scoping review framework, IL-related studies published between 2020 and 2023 were systematically retrieved from Scopus. A total of 125 eligible documents were included. Bibliometric analysis was conducted through performance analysis and network visualization, with co-authorship, co-citation and keyword co-occurrence networks generated using VOSviewer. Findings IL research increased during the pandemic period, with the largest contributions from the USA, China and the UK. Network mapping shows a structured but uneven collaboration landscape, with multiple country clusters and stronger connections among a subset of countries. Keyword analysis identified three thematic clusters: information disorder (e.g. misinformation and infodemic), learning and teaching environments (e.g. online learning, academic libraries and digital literacy) and digital health literacy (e.g. health literacy, social media and internet). Emerging topics by average publication year include social media, online learning, disinformation, health literacy and health IL. Originality/value This study provides a consolidated map of IL research during COVID-19 and translates bibliometric and thematic patterns into implications for IL instruction, library service and future research agendas related to crisis information environments.