Bibliometrics of Research on Sustainability of MSMEs in Indonesia

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the development, structure, and thematic evolution of scientific publications related to the sustainability of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia during the period 2017–2025.

Method: The research employs a bibliometric analysis approach using quantitative descriptive and evaluative techniques. Bibliographic data were collected from the Dimensions database, covering journal articles and review papers relevant to MSME sustainability within the specified period. The dataset was analyzed and visualized using VOSviewer to examine publication trends, keyword co-occurrence, bibliographic coupling, and collaboration patterns among authors, institutions, and countries.

Finding: The results reveal a significant and consistent increase in publications on MSME sustainability, particularly after 2020, indicating growing academic attention to sustainability reporting, performance, and Indonesia-specific contexts. Dominant themes include sustainability reporting, performance, and empirical evidence, while emerging topics such as financial sustainability, COVID-19 impacts, and MSMEs have gained prominence in recent years. However, topics such as ESG integration, green finance, circular economy, and advanced bibliometric studies remain relatively underexplored.

Novelty: This study provides a comprehensive and up-to-date bibliometric mapping of MSME sustainability research in Indonesia, highlighting intellectual structures, research trends, and gaps that have not been systematically examined in previous studies, thereby offering valuable insights for future research directions and policy formulation.

Keyword:
Bibliometric analysis; MSMEs sustainability; Sustainability reporting; Indonesia; ESG