Bridging local and global: Convergence, divergence and dialogue in digital government research communities

Digital government research lies at the intersection of global technological trends and local institutional contexts. This study analyzes 3521 articles from a leading Chinese academic journal and 1428 studies from a top international journal—all addressing digital government—to explore thematic convergences and divergences between domestic and international research, using China as a case. The findings demonstrate that while the Chinese domestic and the international research communities follow similar technological trajectories, they develop distinct research priorities shaped by their respective contexts. Through further examining 200 highly cited publications (2004–2023) - including both Chinese-language works from CNKI and English-language articles from Web of Science, all focusing on China and with Chinese co-authorship, the study uncovers how boundary-spanning researchers employ distinct citation patterns and methodological approaches when navigating different academic communities. These scholars serve as critical bridges facilitating cross-community dialogue and knowledge exchange. The paper concludes with specific recommendations for fostering deeper collaboration between domestic and international digital government research communities.