A bibliometric and altmetric analysis on digital inclusion

In recent years, digital inclusion has become an increasingly important research topic in response to growing concerns about digital inequality and equitable participation in the digital society. This study retrieved 1262 publications on digital inclusion from the Web of Science Core Collection database and conducted a bibliometric analysis of the full dataset. Altmetric indicators were collected for a subsample of 101 highly cited publications to examine societal attention and its relationship with academic impact. The findings indicate that research output on digital inclusion has experienced rapid growth over the past 26 years, particularly after 2020. An influential journal in this field is New Media & Society , while the United States represents the leading contributor in terms of publication output. Keywords analysis identified four major research themes, focusing on structural barriers to digital inclusion, the development of individual digital capabilities, the promotion of inclusion among vulnerable populations through practical applications, and the construction of supportive technological and governance environments. The comparison between academic impact and societal attention reveals both overlaps and divergences between scholarly recognition and public engagement. Notably, studies that integrate theoretical contributions with socially significant issues are more likely to achieve both academic influence and societal visibility.