Affirmative action and inclusive higher education: a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis

Affirmative action remains an important policy instrument for promoting equity and widening participation in education. This study combines a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) with bibliometric analysis to examine the development and intellectual structure of affirmative action research from 2000 to 2024. Following the PRISMA 2020 framework, we analysed 96 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) using publication trends, author-keyword analysis, thematic mapping and evolution, and international collaboration networks. The findings show sustained growth in publication activity, particularly after 2012, alongside increasing thematic diversification. The United States and Brazil dominate the literature's geographical distribution, while international collaboration remains concentrated among a limited number of countries. Within the Scopus – and WoS-indexed corpus, race-related frameworks are more visible than caste-related scholarship. Concerns about affirmative action and higher education persist alongside growing attention to equity, diversity, education policy, and institutional inclusion. The study identifies uneven geographical and conceptual representation within the indexed corpus and highlights opportunities for comparative, cross-national research.