Scrolling to Success: A Systematic Analysis of Social Media’s Role in Scholarly Communications

Background: Social media platforms have become instrumental for scholarly collaboration, research dissemination, and public discourse. However, comprehensive analyses of social media usage patterns among Asian scholars remain limited. Objective: This systematic literature review examines research patterns and trends in social media use among Asian scholars, focusing on scholarly communication practices and digital scholarship advancement. Method: Following established systematic review protocols, we analyzed 42 articles selected from an initial pool of 108 publications across two major databases, spanning a 14-year period. The review process included rigorous screening, quality assessment, and thematic analysis. Results: The analysis revealed five key themes shaping scholarly social media use in Asia: social media usage, social media analysis, functions, features, and communication behavior. Our synthesis demonstrates significant variations in how scholars leverage social media for academic purposes across different Asian contexts. Implications: This first comprehensive review of Asian scholars’ social media use provides a structured framework for understanding digital scholarship in the region. The findings highlight critical research gaps and offer strategic directions for enhancing scholarly communication through social media platforms. Contribution: The study proposes an evidence-based framework integrating the five identified themes, establishing a foundation for future research in academic knowledge dissemination through social media in Asia.