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A Bibliometric Analysis of Women Entrepreneurship: Current Trends and Challenges

Author

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  • Marcus Goncalves

    (Department of Administrative Science, Metropolitan College, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA)

  • Esteban De La Vega Ahumada

    (Department of Administrative Science, Metropolitan College, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA)

Abstract

This study conducts a bibliometric and altmetric analysis of women’s entrepreneurship, examining research trends, challenges, and contributions to sustainable development. By analyzing 6729 journal articles from the Web of Science (1975–2024), this study employs citation analysis, co-citation analysis, and co-word analysis, alongside altmetric indicators, to assess research impact. Visualization tools such as VOSViewer (version 16.20) were used to map the scholarly landscape. Key findings highlight critical themes, including gender disparities, financial barriers, socio-cultural challenges, and digital transformation, underscoring the crucial role of women entrepreneurs in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study identifies major research clusters, leading authors, and institutions that shape the field, while also revealing regional disparities in research output. The growing prevalence of open-access research has enhanced knowledge dissemination, yet access to financial and technological resources remains a challenge for women entrepreneurs. This study emphasizes the need for targeted policies to improve access to finance, digital tools, and entrepreneurial education, fostering an enabling ecosystem for women-led businesses. By integrating traditional bibliometric techniques with altmetrics, this research provides a comprehensive assessment of global trends in women’s entrepreneurship, offering valuable insights for academics, policymakers, and practitioners. It contributes to the literature on gender and entrepreneurship by identifying emerging themes and gaps, advocating for inclusive policies and enhanced support mechanisms to drive sustainable economic growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcus Goncalves & Esteban De La Vega Ahumada, 2025. "A Bibliometric Analysis of Women Entrepreneurship: Current Trends and Challenges," Merits, MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-32, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jmerit:v:5:y:2025:i:2:p:9-:d:1630153
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mercedes Barrachina Fernández & Maria del Carmen García-Centeno & Carmen Calderón Patier, 2021. "Women Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Review and Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-12, October.
    2. Chieh Liu & Mu-Hsuan Huang, 2022. "Exploring the relationships between altmetric counts and citations of papers in different academic fields based on co-occurrence analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(8), pages 4939-4958, August.
    3. Marcus Goncalves & Sadaf Sartipi & Ghazale Asadi Damavandi, 2025. "Leadership and Entrepreneurial Choices: Understanding the Motivational Dynamics of Women Entrepreneurs in Iran," Merits, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-34, January.
    4. Saira Begum & Muhammad Ashfaq & Enjun Xia & Usama Awan, 2022. "Does green transformational leadership lead to green innovation? The role of green thinking and creative process engagement," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 580-597, January.
    5. Aidin Salamzadeh & Léo-Paul Dana & Javad Ghaffari Feyzabadi & Morteza Hadizadeh & Haleh Eslahi Fatmesari, 2024. "Digital Technology as a Disentangling Force for Women Entrepreneurs," World, MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-19, May.
    6. Martina K Linnenluecke & Mauricio Marrone & Abhay K Singh, 2020. "Conducting systematic literature reviews and bibliometric analyses," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 45(2), pages 175-194, May.
    7. Raghu Raman & Nava Subramaniam & Vinith Kumar Nair & Avinash Shivdas & Krishnashree Achuthan & Prema Nedungadi, 2022. "Women Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development: Bibliometric Analysis and Emerging Research Trends," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-31, July.
    8. Gina Santos & Carla Susana Marques & João J. Ferreira, 2018. "A look back over the past 40 years of female entrepreneurship: mapping knowledge networks," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 115(2), pages 953-987, May.
    9. Sukhjeet Kaur Matharu & Divya Juneja, 2023. "The Influence of Perceived Motivational Factors on Success of Women-Driven Ventures and Their Contribution in Economic Development," Vision, , vol. 27(5), pages 616-627, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Karen Paola Ramírez-López & Ma. Sandra Hernández-López & Gilberto Herrera-Ruiz & Juan Fernando García-Trejo & Magdalena Mendoza-Sánchez & María Isabel Nieto-Ramírez & Juvenal Rodríguez-Reséndiz, 2025. "Female-Led Rural Nanoenterprises in Business Research: A Systematic and Bibliometric Review of an Overlooked Entrepreneurial Category," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-30, August.
    2. Yunhao He & Marcus V. Goncalves, 2025. "Mapping Gender Pay Disparities in Chinese Finance: A Systematic Literature and Bibliometric Review," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-40, September.

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