Cyberspace: A systematic review of 30 years of social and economic research

Anna A. Mikhaylova, Andrey S. Mikhaylov

Article ID: 6178
Vol 8, Issue 8, 2024

VIEWS - 80 (Abstract) 72 (PDF)

Abstract


The study is focusing on cyberspace—a new type of space mastered by humans with the help of digital technologies. This systematic review uses SPAR-4-SLR protocol to analyze over 30 years of scholarly research indexed in Scopus database, highlighting five time periods: before 1995, 1996–2008, 2009–2012, 2013–2019, and after 2020. A final sample of 6645 publications in social sciences, Business, management and accounting (BMA), and Economics, econometrics and finance (EEF) was analyzed across multiple parameters, including: chronology, types of documents, sources, countries, institutions, authors, topics, and most cited publications. The review has systematized information about the most influential organizations and individuals involved in cyberspace research. First of all, these are researchers from the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. Key journals that publish research on the topic have been identified, and a ranked list of funding organizations supporting research on the social and economic aspects of cyberspace are identified. The study provides insights into the achievements of the social and economic sciences in cyberspace over the past 30 years. The results will be useful to scholars who seek for a general overview on the topic of cyberspace, as well as experts and policymakers developing mechanisms and tools for regulating cyberspace as a mixture of the virtual and real worlds.


Keywords


digitalization; digital infrastructure; cyberspace; cybersecurity; geopolitics; information technology; regulation; information policy

Full Text:

PDF


References


Batty M., & Barr B. (1994). The electronic frontier. Exploring and mapping cyberspace. Futures, 26(7), 699–712. https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-3287(94)90039-6

Chang, H. C. (2016). The Synergy of Scientometric Analysis and Knowledge Mapping with Topic Models: Modelling the Development Trajectories of Information Security and Cyber-Security Research. Journal of Information & Knowledge Management, 15(04), 1650044. https://doi.org/10.1142/s0219649216500441

Dhawan, S. M., Gupta, B. M., & Elango, B. (2020). Global Cyber Security Research Output (1998–2019): A Scientometric Analysis. Science & Technology Libraries, 40(2), 172–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/0194262x.2020.1840487

Elango, B., Matilda, S., Martina Jose Mary, M., et al. (2022). Mapping the Cybersecurity Research: A Scientometric Analysis of Indian Publications. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2022.2058644

Feng, J., & Zhang, R. (2024). Mixing the virtual and the real: A social geographical study of cyberspace. Progress in Geography, 43(1), 133–146. https://doi.org/10.18306/dlkxjz.2024.01.010

Guo, W., Wang, H., Tian, Y., et al. (2019). Research on “Cyberspace Security Testing and Evaluation” Technology Development Trend. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Communications, Information System and Computer Engineering (CISCE). https://doi.org/10.1109/cisce.2019.00086

He, J., Wang, H., Xian, M., et al. (2019). The Application of Big Data in Cyberspace: A Survey. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Communications, Information System and Computer Engineering (CISCE). https://doi.org/10.1109/cisce.2019.00132

ITU. (2024). Time series of ICT data for the world, by geographic regions, by urban/rural area and by level of development, for the following indicators (2005–2023). Available online: https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx (accessed on 9 April 2024).

Johnson, D. R., & Post, D. (1996). Law and Borders: The Rise of Law in Cyberspace. Stanford Law Review, 48(5), 1367. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229390

Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2009). The fairyland of Second Life: Virtual social worlds and how to use them. Business Horizons, 52(6), 563–572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.07.002

Li, Z., Zeng, L., & Luo, Z. (2017). Identifying the Landscape and Trends in Cyberspace Research: From 1989 to 2016. In: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Big Data Intelligence and Computing and 2017 IEEE Cyber Science and Technology Congress: 22–29. https://doi.org/10.1109/dasc-picom-datacom-cyberscitec.2017.21

Lim, W. M., Kumar, S., & Ali, F. (2022). Advancing knowledge through literature reviews: ‘what’, ‘why’, and ‘how to contribute’. The Service Industries Journal, 42(7–8), 481–513. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2047941

Mesquita, R. F. de, Matos, F. R. N., Machado, D. de Q., et al. (2018). From space to cyberspace: on ethnography and netnography. Perspectives in Information Science, 23(2), 134–153. https://doi.org/10.1590/1981-5344/2998

Mikhaylova, A. A., & Hvaley, D. V. (2023). Geography of the mobile internet in the border and interior regions of Russia. Baltic Region, 15(3), 140–167. https://doi.org/10.5922/2079-8555-2023-3-8

Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., et al. (2009). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. PLoS Medicine, 6(7), e1000097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., et al. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. Systematic Reviews, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-021-01626-4

Papadimitriou, F. (2023). Topologies of Ubiquity and Placelessness. GeoJournal Library, 133, 109–126. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48185-7

Paul, J., & Criado, A. R. (2020). The art of writing literature review: What do we know and what do we need to know? International Business Review, 29(4), 101717. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2020.101717

Paul, J., Lim, W. M., O’Cass, A., et al. (2021). Scientific procedures and rationales for systematic literature reviews (SPAR-4-SLR). International Journal of Consumer Studies, 45(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12695

Rai, S., Singh, K., & Varma, A. K. (2019). Global Research Trend on Cyber Security: A Scientometric Analysis. Library Philosophy and Practice, 1–20.

Sardar Z. (1995). Alt.civilizations.faq cyberspace as the darker side of the West. Futures, 27(7), 777–794. https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-3287(95)80008-W

Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039

Tsiotsou, R. H., Koles, B., Paul, J., et al. (2022). Theory generation from literature reviews: A methodological guidance. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 46(5), 1505–1516. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12861

Walser, R. (1990). Doing it directly: the experiential design of cyberspaces. In: Proceedings of the SPIE 1256, Stereoscopic Displays and Applications. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.19899

Zhao, H. (2022). Ontology of Cyberspace. In: Cyberspace & Sovereignty. World Scientific Book. pp. 3–45. https://doi.org/10.1142/9789811227790_0001




DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i8.6178

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2024 Anna A. Mikhaylova, Andrey S. Mikhaylov

License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.