A typology of social innovation: A comparative study of clustering methodologies

Abstract

This study offers a typology of the Social Innovation (SI) field. A sample of 5,152 documents from the Scopus database is screened using a clustering process. Using measures for inferring similarities from co-occurrence data, we identified the main themes addressed in the field, presenting a collection of keywords structured into clusters and categories. Bibliographic coupling and co-citation clustering find significant related documents and the VOS algorithm maps two sets of relevant clusters. The maps of these bibliometric analyses were contrasted through an analytical process identifying and classifying the research questions in each. This combined methodology proposes a typology that contributes to the integration of the different disciplines that structure the field by bridging the boundaries of the knowledge areas generated during the conceptualisation process. The typology confirms a matrix of six consolidated disciplines (transformation, social entrepreneurship, design, theory, territorial development, and governance) as well as three emerging clusters, a human cluster related to demographic challenges and two central sets bringing together specific aspects of social technologies and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This classification provides a picture of the current intellectual structure of the field, pulling together publications relevant to the different academic communities and providing clarity and a more manageable approach to handling the large volume of information faced when designing and substantiating systematic studies and future research on SI.