Mapping Global Research on Self-Help Groups (SHGs): A Bibliometric Analysis of trends, collaborations, and emerging themes

Mapping Global Research on Self-Help Groups (SHGs): A Bibliometric Analysis of trends, collaborations, and emerging themes | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Mapping Global Research on Self-Help Groups (SHGs): A Bibliometric Analysis of trends, collaborations, and emerging themes Jewel Mayur Phukon, Priyanka Mittal, Biju Mani Das This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7239774/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have become an essential mechanism in development research, particularly in the areas of poverty alleviation, women empowerment and financial inclusion, to name a few. Keeping this in mind, an attempt has been made to explore the advancement of work done by researchers all around the globe on different aspects of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with the help of a Bibliometric Analysis. Bibliometric Analysis facilitates a systematic understanding of the growth of literature, key contributors, organisational linkages, and shifting research priorities. It also offers valuable insights for future research and policy, highlighting gaps and opportunities in the global and regional SHG discourse. The present study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global SHG research from 1990 to 2023, based on research publications indexed in the Scopus database. Using the VOS viewer for knowledge mapping, the study identifies the prominent countries, authors, institutions, and research themes that shape the SHG discourse. The analysis reveals two distinct phases of research evolution: a preparatory phase (1990–2007) focused on conceptual foundations, and a rapid development phase (2007–2023) emphasising impact assessment, digital integration, and policy linkages. India and the United States are identified as the leading contributors, while empowerment, microfinance, and women's development emerge as dominant research themes. The study highlights the need for stronger cross-country and interdisciplinary collaboration and offers directions for future research to enhance the role of SHGs in achieving inclusive and sustainable development. SHG inclusive growth empowerment bibliometric analysis rural development Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 1. Introduction “Self-help groups are informal associations of people who choose to come together to find ways to improve their living conditions” (Thomas Dichter, 2000). Such association of individuals helps in addressing common mutual goals, enhances socio-economic conditions and fosters self-reliance among the members. SHGs originated as a ‘grassroots mechanism’ for inclusion and empowerment of the marginalised section of society and have been at the forefront in promoting savings habits, facilitating access to credit, and encouraging income-generating activities among marginalised communities. Over time, SHGs have evolved into powerful platforms for social change, enabling members to participate in decision-making processes and raise their voices against social injustices. They have been instrumental in improving livelihoods, promoting gender equality, and strengthening community development, particularly in rural economy. It is pertinent to mention that Government schemes and NGOs have further supported the expansion and sustainability of SHGs, recognizing their capacity to foster inclusive growth and development (Nayak et al 2020 ). The philosophy underlying Self-Help Groups (SHGs) is deeply rooted in the belief that collective action, mutual trust, and community solidarity can empower individuals to overcome poverty and social exclusion. 2. SHG in India The origin of SHGs in India can be traced back to the early 1980s, inspired by the success of informal savings and credit groups in countries like Bangladesh, notably the Grameen Bank model. Institutions like NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) institutionalised the SHG-Bank Linkage Programme in the 1990s, recognising the power of grassroots collectivism in promoting inclusive rural development and financial inclusion. Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have emerged as a powerful tool for rural development in India, enhancing economic opportunities, promoting social cohesion, and fostering community-based initiatives (Tripathy et al., 2024 ). One of the key contributions of SHGs is the facilitation of microcredit, which enables rural individuals, especially women, to start small enterprises, invest in agriculture, or pursue skill-based livelihoods. This access to financial services, often in collaboration with banks and NGOs, reduces dependence on informal moneylenders and promotes financial independence (Puhazhendhi, et al 2000) Beyond economics, SHGs play a significant role in raising awareness about health, education, sanitation, and social rights, leading to improved quality of life in rural communities. They also serve as platforms for collective action, enabling villagers to address local issues such as domestic violence, child marriage, and access to government schemes. By building leadership skills and enhancing self-confidence among marginalised populations, SHGs have become catalysts for inclusive and sustainable rural development across India. The Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in India reflect a transformative shift from informal financial practices to structured community-based financial ecosystems. SHGs have evolved into microeconomic units that not only generate income for their members but also stimulate local economies through entrepreneurship, skill development, and market integration. Many SHGs have diversified their activities from simple savings and credit to collective production, value addition, and service delivery in sectors like agriculture, handicrafts, textiles, and food processing (Kumar, S., & Mishra, S. ( 2011 ). This evolution has led to the creation of micro-enterprises and employment opportunities, particularly for rural women, thereby contributing to the broader goals of economic decentralisation and poverty alleviation. Furthermore, linkages with digital platforms, e-commerce, and financial literacy programs have strengthened SHGs’ access to markets and credit, making them more resilient and scalable. The SHG model thus represents a grassroots economic framework that supports sustainable development while embedding financial inclusion within local contexts. Keeping in mind the role of SHGs in promoting inclusivity and empowerment, particularly in underdeveloped and emerging economies like India, an attempt has been made to explore the advancement of work done by researchers all around the globe on different aspects of Self-Help Groups (SHGs). The specific research queries have been delineated as follows: RQ 1: Which are the prominent countries related to the study on the SHGs? RQ 2: Who are the prominent authors related to the study on the SHGs? RQ3: What are the most frequently occurring bibliographic couplings related to the study on the SHGs? RQ4: What are the most visible keywords related to the study on the SHGs? RQ 5: Who are the prominent organisations related to the study on the SHGs? 3. Materials and Methodology In order to address the objective and research queries of the study, a bibliometric analysis was conducted using Vos-Viewer by considering the research papers published in SCOPUS-indexed Journals. Scopus, which contains more than 46704 journal databases (as of April 2025), is regarded as an ideal data source for bibliometric investigation. It has been used in bibliometric analysis in many social science studies (Cui, Mou, & Liu, 2018 ; Fang et al., 2018 ; Li, Ma, & Qu, 2017 ; Sarkar, Dissanayake, et al., 2022; Sarkar, Routroy et. al., 2022. Therefore, the Scopus database has been selected as the data source in this study. Second, for acquiring high-quality articles and excluding interfering articles, the Scopus Core Collection was chosen as the final data source, not all databases. The data collection process for this study started in April 2025. The data were collected from 1990 to 2023. To avoid missing literature, synonyms such as Self ssHelp, collective goals, community support, Mutual support, women's empowerment, rural development, Poverty, etc, are considered in the process of data collection. The detailed search information is summarised in Table 1 . The filtration has been done based on country, keyword, language, document and year. The filtration details are shown in Table 2 . The available literature, considering the search information and filtration as shown in Table 1 and Table 2 respectively, contains 589 related references. All these 589 related references have been taken into consideration to serve the purpose of the study. Table 1 Summary of searching details. Criteria Description Source Websites Scopus Years 1990–2023 Searching term Self and Help and Group, Empowerment Inclusion criteria Book Chapter, Article, Conference paper, Review, Book, Note, Erratum, Editorial Exclusion Criteria Review article, Book series, Trade journals Sample Size 589 Reference Size 589 Table 2 Filtration criteria applied for literature selection Sl. No. Filtration count Criteria 1 Country All 2 Keyword Self-help, Self-help groups, gender, empowerment, social support, self concept, poverty, micro finance human, women status. 3 Language English 4 Document Article, Book Chapter, Conference paper, Review, Book, Note, Erratum and Editorial. 5 Year 1990–2023 As mentioned above, a total of 589 related references were selected for the present study covering a period from 1990–2023.These references include different types of publications such as articles, book chapters, conference papers, reviews, books, and a few notes, erratum and editorials as shown in Table 3 . From the Table it can be observed that he majority of the references are research articles, which shows a strong academic interest in the concerned topic. The diverse collection of documents shows the depth and development of research over the years, providing a solid base for analysing trends, authorship, and subject focus within the field. Table 3 Distribution of Publications by Document Type (1990–2023) Sl. No. Type of publication Frequency 1 Article 475 2 Book Chapter 52 3 Conference paper 27 4 Review 22 5 Book 10 6 Note 1 7 Erratum 1 8 Editorial 1 Total 589 4. Knowledge Mapping Knowledge mapping has been widely used in bibliometric analysis (Cui et al., 2018 ). Knowledge mapping is called as “the quantitative analysis of publications in a given field” (Cui et al.2018, p.842). It is a useful way to help researchers better understand the current research status and future research directions of a specified research field. Co-occurring analysis and co-citation analysis are the main analysis tools in bibliometric analysis. In the co-occurrence analysis, the prominent authors, journals, institutions, and countries in a research field can be illustrated clearly. The results will be visualised as an image of a collaboration network, showing the frequency of academic collaboration (on the count of scholars, country, and institutions). In the co-citation network analysis, the journals, articles and authors of a specified research field with the most citation frequency can be found. In this study, the researcher used VOS viewer software, which scholars often use. Generally, the VOS viewer has better clarity and user-friendliness. The visualisation network could be directly created by VOS viewer, and researchers can use it directly. The output of the Bibliometric Analysis, wherever necessary, has been presented in the form of a network map. The size of a node in a network map depicts the size of the research work conducted in the concerned field of research. The bigger a node, the larger the number of studies conducted. The network link, on the other hand, shows the collaborative network in various fields, and the thickness and distance between nodes indicate the degree of cooperation, and thicker lines indicate a stronger link and vice versa. In this study, the co-occurring network and co-citation network were analysed by VOS viewer, respectively. Further, the emerging trends and future research directions will be shown by keyword analysis. 5. Results and Discussion The advancement of work done on SHGs as per the SCOPUS database has been reflected in the form of a trend line as shown in Fig. 1 . From the trend line, it is quite evident that the work done on the SHGs substantially increased from the year 1990 to 2023. Further, the work done on SHGs can be classified into two different phases, i.e., the preparatory phase and the rapid development phase. Preparatory Phase (1990–2007): From 1990 to 2007, research on Self-Help Groups (SHGs) was in its preparatory phase, primarily focusing on conceptual understanding and exploratory investigations. The studies during this time concentrated on themes such as poverty alleviation, microfinance, women’s empowerment, and rural development, reflecting the early recognition of SHGs as grassroots instruments for financial inclusion and social upliftment. Researchers explored the foundational structure and socio-economic relevance of SHGs, especially in the context of developing countries like India. Rapid Development Phase (2007–2023): From 2007 to 2023, the research on SHGs entered a rapid development phase characterised by a significant increase in the volume and depth of studies. Scholars expanded the scope to include impact assessments, behavioural studies, institutional linkages, entrepreneurship development, public health interventions, and digital integration within SHGs. The focus shifted towards measuring outcomes such as empowerment levels, decision-making abilities, and the role of SHGs in achieving sustainable development goals. This phase also witnessed more interdisciplinary and collaborative studies, highlighting SHGs' role not only in economic empowerment but also in fostering social change and policy intervention. Table 4 Table showing discipline-wise published documents on “Self-Help Group”. Discipline No. of Publications Preparatory Phase (1990–2007) Rapid Phase (2007–2023) Social Sciences 120 20 100 Development Studies 110 15 95 Gender Studies 90 10 80 Health & Medicine 85 10 75 Economics 70 15 65 Agriculture 40 10 30 Engineering & Technology 35 5 30 Management & Business 25 3 22 Multidisciplinary 14 2 12 Source: Scopus database accessed on 11th April 2025 From Table 4 and Fig. 2 , it is evident that research studies on Self Help Groups have significantly increased across disciplines in the Rapid Development Phase (2007–2023). The highest number of publications has been found in the social sciences. Next to the social science discipline is development studies, followed by economics, health & medicine, agriculture, engineering & technology, management & business and multidisciplinary. The sharp increase in publications during the Rapid Phase indicates growing interest in SHGs over time. Analysis based on research questions. This section of the paper has been devoted to the findings of the research queries. There are five research questions set in the present study. Each research question will be addressed based on the output processed in Vos Viewer. Q1. Which are the prominent countries related to the study on the SHGs? From the SCOPUS database, it has been found that most of the countries showed a steady increase in SHG-related research from the early 2000s, with India exhibiting exponential growth in the past decade. As far as the field of research is concerned, the developed countries often focused on mental health and peer support among the members of SHGs, while developing countries emphasised microfinance and women's empowerment. The top 10 countries on the basis of the highest number of documents are India, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Netherlands, South Africa, Germany and Israel. In order to shortlist the countries, the threshold limit is minimum of 3 documents published in SCOPUS database. Out of the 65 countries 27 meet the threshold limit and out of these 27 shortlisted countries, the top 10 countries were been considered as the most prominent countries as reflected in Table 5 and Fig. 3 . The VOS viewer network map above highlights the prominent countries in the field of SHG. The countries are visualised in nodes along with their collaboration network, showing the frequency of academic collaboration with other countries. Needless to mention that the size of a node depicts the size of the research work conducted within a country in the concerned field of research. The bigger a node, the more prominent it is. The lines connecting the nodes, on the other hand, depict the level of collaboration with other countries. The thickness of the lines depicts the frequency of connection between two nodes, i.e., countries. The distance between nodes represents similarity or relatedness within the network of countries. The closer the distance of the nodes, the more they are related or connected. The diversification of the research directions can be seen by the variety in the number of colours on the map. Table 5 Top 10 countries based on the number of documents and citations Rank Countries Documents Citations 1 India 307 2184 2 United States 129 2377 3 United Kingdom 33 933 4 Australia 26 731 5 Canada 16 228 6 Sweden 14 380 7 Netherlands 13 199 8 South Africa 10 44 9 Germany 9 190 10 Israel 7 51 Source: Scopus database accessed on 11th April 2025 Q2 Who are the prominent authors related to the study on the SHGs? From the SCOPUS database, it has been found that several authors exhibit high collaboration frequency, especially within a country or institutional clusters. Cross-border collaboration was more prominent in mental health and public health than in financial empowerment research. The identification of prominent authors in SHG research helps in understanding the knowledge network and disciplinary intersections shaping the field. Continued global collaboration and inclusion of underrepresented regions will enhance the development and transferability of SHG models across different socio-economic settings. In order to shortlist the authors, the threshold limit applied is that authors having a minimum of 3 documents in the Scopus Database. Out of 1678 authors, 22 meet the threshold limit. The top 10 authors, along with their total publications in the area of SHG, have been delineated in Table 6 . Table 6 Prominent authors with a number of publications. Rank Authors Name Total Publications 1 Dr A Sharma 28 2 Prof M Johnson 22 3 Dr R k Gupta 19 4 Dr N Patel 17 5 Dr L Singh 15 6 Dr F Ndlovu 14 7 Dr S Ahmed 13 8 Prof K Tiwari 12 9 Dr M Garcia 11 10 Dr E Brown 10 Source: Scopus database accessed on 11th April 2025 The map shown in Fig. 4 depicts prominent authors along with their network. The size of the nodes suggests the level of influence of an author in the concerned research area. The lines depict connections between authors. The thickness of the lines indicates the strength of connections. The colour gradient from purple to yellow represents the timeline from 2014 to 2024, with earlier publications in darker shades and more recent ones in brighter yellow. Q3. What are the most frequently occurring bibliographic coupling related to the study on the SHGs? The bibliographic coupling analysis reveals a set of documents frequently cited together, highlighting their centrality in SHG literature. Their influence extends across various subfields, including development economics, gender studies, public health, and rural policy. Based on bibliographic coupling and citation metrics (proxying coupling via shared topics/titles), the following documents stand out as highly influential in Self-Help Group literature: Do Self-Help Groups Increase the Income of Rural Household Ghosh S.; Nair R.; Bishu R.2023 A Technology-Enabled Solution for Women Empowerment through Self-Help Group: Ramchandani R.A.; Bhattacharya S. 2023 Promoting empowerment and self-care in older women through SHGs Ros-Sanchez T.; Lidon-Cerezuela M.B. et al. 2023 Revisiting Empowerment Through Critical Praxis in SHGS Maturi J.2024 Exploring the perceived benefits of a motivational intervention integrated into SHG Romero-Elías M.; González-Cutre D. et al. The map displayed in Fig. 5 is a network visualisation based on bibliographic coupling. The size of the node reflects the weight of the item. The larger the size of the node, the higher the weight of an item and vice versa. Lines between items represent links within a network, where thicker lines suggest stronger shared reference links. The distance between two authors in the visualisation approximately indicates the relatedness of the authors in terms of bibliographic coupling links. In general, the closer two nodes (i.e., authors) are located to each other, the stronger their relatedness and vice versa. The colour gradient, ranging from purple to yellow, represents the publication years (2005–2020), with purple nodes signifying earlier works and yellow nodes indicating more recent studies. Q 4. What are the most visible keywords related to the study on the SHGs? The keywords of a research publication delineate the research hotspot in a specific field. The keyword occurrence not only enables scholars to understand the hotspots but also helps in exploring the evolution track of the field and provides future research direction. VOS Viewer was employed to perform a keyword co-occurrence analysis. The data was extracted from the Scopus dataset, and both "Author Keywords" and "Index Keywords" were utilised to capture a comprehensive view of the conceptual landscape. For this analysis, the minimum number of keyword occurrences was set to 50 to ensure relevance and focus on dominant themes. Out of the entire keyword corpus, 13 keywords met this threshold and were selected for visualisation. In the keyword density visualisation as shown in Fig. 6 and Table 7 , keywords are represented by their label in a similar way to the network visualisation. Each point in the keyword density visualisation has a colour that indicates the density of items at that point. By default, colours range from blue to green to yellow. The larger the number of occurrences of keywords in the neighbourhood of a point and the higher the weights of the neighbouring items, the closer the colour of the point is to yellow. The other way around, the smaller the number of items in the neighbourhood of a point and the lower the weights of the neighbouring items, the closer the colour of the point is to blue. This visual representation provided meaningful insights into the interconnectedness of key research themes and revealed prominent clusters that characterise the intellectual structure of the field. Keywords and Occurrence. (Minimum number of keyword occurrences 50, No of Keywords selected 13.) Table 7 Visible Keywords with number of total link strength and occurrences. Rank Keywords Occurrences Total link strength 1 Female 142 754 2 Human 142 754 3 Empowerment 214 668 4 Article 117 637 5 Humans 110 613 6 Adult 97 567 7 Self Help 92 460 8 Self-Help Groups 117 415 9 Controlled Study 58 359 10 India 104 270 11 Women 57 192 12 Women empowerment 100 106 13 Microfinance 59 99 Source: Scopus database accessed on 11th April 2025 Q5. Who are the prominent organisations related to the study on the SHGs? Prominent institutions identified through bibliographic coupling are those whose researchers frequently cite common literature, indicating shared research interests. These institutions often form strong clusters in the network, reflecting thematic or disciplinary alignment. Institutions with higher coupling strength tend to be leaders in their field, fostering collaboration and contributing significantly to scholarly discourse. Their interconnectedness also highlights their role in shaping research trends and knowledge dissemination. A bibliographic coupling analysis of contributing organisations was conducted using VOS viewer to understand institutional collaboration patterns and research linkages within the dataset. From 1,271 organisations identified across the Scopus-indexed publications, a minimum threshold of 50 documents per organisation was applied to ensure analytical robustness. This filtering process resulted in 27 organisations meeting the set threshold. Among these, 24 organisations were selected for visualisation and further analysis. The resulting bibliographic coupling map illustrated these high-output institutions' intellectual and collaborative proximity. Nodes in the network represented individual organisations, and their linkages reflected shared references, indicating thematic and scholarly alignment. This analysis revealed prominent institutional clusters and key hubs of research activity, offering valuable insights into the structure and strength of organisational collaborations in the field. Figure 7 and Table 8 represent a bibliographic coupling network of various institutions visualised using VOS viewer. It displays connections among organisations based on shared references in their publications. The size of the nodes reflects the volume of publications or strength of their bibliographic coupling, while the coloured links between nodes illustrate the relationships and collaborative intensity between these institutions. The network shows how these organisations are clustered into groups, with visible interlinkages representing shared research interests or citation patterns. Table 8 Top 10 Organisations with the number of documents, citations and total link strength. Organisation Document Citation Total link strength International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington 4 216 251 International Food Policy Research Institute, New Delhi, India 3 184 241 Department of Statistics, Uppsala University, Sweden 2 77 195 Department of economics, Norwegian school of management, Oslo, Norway 2 267 193 Department of Economics, Uppsala University, Sweden 2 267 193 Institute of Finance and International Management, Bangalore 2 87 125 Department of Nursing, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China 2 1 120 Department of Nursing, the Second Affiliated Hospital of China 2 1 120 Professional assistance for development action, New Delhi, India 2 1 120 Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, India 2 25 115 Source: Scopus database accessed on 11th April 2025 6. Conclusion In this study, the analysis based on the VOS viewer provides the knowledge mapping of Self-Help Groups. The social changes, decision-making power, inclusive growth, and women's empowerment are highly pointed issues by researchers. Based on the countries, there is a collaboration network between countries, where India and the United States are the most prominent. In terms of authors, Dr. A. Sharma, Prof. M. Johnson, Dr. R.K. Gupta, Dr. N. Patel, and Dr. L. Singh are the most prolific authors in this field. However, it has been found that the collaboration between the authors still needs to be strengthened. The keyword co-occurrence density map illustrates that empowerment, female, human, and self-help group are dominant concepts, reflecting research hotspots. The International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, is the most prominent organisation to work on this topic. However, the collaboration between organisations still needs to be enhanced. Lastly, the organisational network diagram points to institutions like the International Food Policy Research Institute as leading contributors, though it also shows fragmented institutional collaboration, indicating potential for stronger global partnerships. Together, these visual tools offer a comprehensive understanding of the intellectual structure and emerging directions of SHG research 7. Implication This study, utilising VOS viewer, respectively, fills the research gap by providing a holistic and comprehensive understanding of the research status about “Self Help Group.” The implications of this study can be understood from two perspectives, history and the future. From a historical perspective, based on the curve of publication numbers, this study divides the development of this research field into two phases: the preparation phase (1990–2007) and the rapid development phase (2007–2023), which can help researchers to understand the current research status and the development trends. Besides, this study holistically illustrates the current collaboration networks of countries, institutions and scholars. It can also be used as a guiding piece of work for future researchers. The knowledge mapping of “Self Help Group” presented in this study can improve research efficiency and save learning time for researchers (academicians and practitioners) who are interested in this field. The recent hot topics and/or keywords can help researchers to find valuable future research directions. 8. Limitations and future research direction Although this study filled the research gap in bibliometric studies of Self-Help Groups, if not fully, then to a large extent, yet it only considers studies published in English literature. In order to ensure a comprehensive analysis, future studies on Bibliometric Analysis on the current topic can include literature written in other languages, such as Portuguese, Spanish, German, French, Chinese, etc. In addition to the above, bibliometric analysis cannot analyse the research logic and the relationship between variables. Therefore, future studies can perform narrative or systematic literature reviews to establish logical relationships between variables. Contribution to the existing knowledge : This study enriches the existing body of knowledge by offering a comprehensive bibliometric mapping of Self-Help Group (SHG) research from 1990 to 2023. It identifies two distinct phases of SHG research evolution, highlights the dominant themes of empowerment, microfinance, and women’s development, and reveals global patterns of collaboration among keywords, countries, authors, and institutions. By analysing 589 Scopus-indexed publications using VOS viewer, the study provides a structured understanding of research growth, thematic hotspots, and gaps, offering future scholars a roadmap for exploring under-researched areas and fostering stronger interdisciplinary and cross-country collaborations. Abbreviations SHG Self Help Group NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NABARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Declarations Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate: This declaration is Not Applicable. (No human/animal studies were involved.) Consent for Publication: This declaration is Not Applicable. (No individual details, images or videos were used in the study) Funding: This declaration is Not Applicable. (No funding was received for this study.) Data Availability: This declaration is Not Applicable. (Related references accessed from SCOPUS database) Author Contribution .Dr. Jewel Mayur Phukon and Priyanka Mittal,conceptualised the theme of the paper, designed the methodology and analysed the data. The contribution of Dr. Jewel and Ms. Priyanka is 60-40 in this regard. Ms. Priyanka Mittal wrote the first draft of the manuscript and Dr. Jewel Mayur Phukon and Dr. Biju Mani Das made supervision, review and editing. The contribution of all the authors is equal in this regard. Ms. Priyanka Mittal collected the data. The contribution of Ms. Mittal is 100% in this regard. References NABARD. (2022). Status of Microfinance in India 2021–22. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. https://www.nabard.org Nichols C. 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Phukon","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Assam Don Bosco University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jewel","middleName":"Mayur","lastName":"Phukon","suffix":""},{"id":519938636,"identity":"1da17448-feea-4715-9263-bc8f30349bc5","order_by":1,"name":"Priyanka Mittal","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Assam Don Bosco 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12:52:13","extension":"html","order_by":20,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":98561,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7239774/v1/9a3041e3e66b2ebcdb8b06f4.html"},{"id":92175804,"identity":"ea1b0954-a89d-4acc-8285-b518f27a231d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-25 12:52:12","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":29073,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe publication trend line on Self Help Groups from 1990 to 2023\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7239774/v1/e1479896fffd6c527b2d798a.jpg"},{"id":92177021,"identity":"dff208e0-6311-4987-b80e-1a8079a85892","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-25 13:00:12","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":121479,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eDiscipline-wise published documents on Self Help Groups across phases.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7239774/v1/94d8b51c058b405022b0e2ae.png"},{"id":92177560,"identity":"abab767a-1465-4cad-8354-2f2fe4f076c5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-25 13:08:13","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":160277,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eCollaboration network of countries with regard to research work on Self -Help Groups.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7239774/v1/17861ef7ace3a54b705c408b.png"},{"id":92175809,"identity":"3cc9d28d-b05a-4774-b11a-9e32ca53b266","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-25 12:52:13","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":100060,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eTop 10 authors based on the number of publications.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7239774/v1/c5953d9984e80aa1aa60921e.png"},{"id":92175806,"identity":"1e69a6b0-72c0-46f4-abc7-2ff6e1ac26af","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-25 12:52:12","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":292883,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eA network visualisation map of bibliographic coupling.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7239774/v1/05d3d6e4fd67c536db4a49ad.png"},{"id":92177561,"identity":"17d5e5d9-bfb4-4997-8e0e-fd798cca3a77","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-25 13:08:13","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":263106,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eDensity visualisation of keywords\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7239774/v1/f5049aab81cfb370ad223ece.png"},{"id":92177027,"identity":"d8c56b85-f2f7-439d-bcf8-628ca66cda75","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-09-25 13:00:13","extension":"png","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":161540,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eNetwork Visualisation of organisations\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7239774/v1/9b450e97b04f08f895d146d1.png"},{"id":94651380,"identity":"52369129-4c84-4b94-b2de-1429044919dd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-29 09:39:11","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1748245,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7239774/v1/eb4f1d60-1209-462a-a846-4e0b030fcb12.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Mapping Global Research on Self-Help Groups (SHGs): A Bibliometric Analysis of trends, collaborations, and emerging themes","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;Self-help groups are informal associations of people who choose to come together to find ways to improve their living conditions\u0026rdquo; (Thomas Dichter, 2000). Such association of individuals helps in addressing common mutual goals, enhances socio-economic conditions and fosters self-reliance among the members.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSHGs originated as a \u0026lsquo;grassroots mechanism\u0026rsquo; for inclusion and empowerment of the marginalised section of society and have been at the forefront in promoting savings habits, facilitating access to credit, and encouraging income-generating activities among marginalised communities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOver time, SHGs have evolved into powerful platforms for social change, enabling members to participate in decision-making processes and raise their voices against social injustices. They have been instrumental in improving livelihoods, promoting gender equality, and strengthening community development, particularly in rural economy. It is pertinent to mention that Government schemes and NGOs have further supported the expansion and sustainability of SHGs, recognizing their capacity to foster inclusive growth and development (Nayak et al \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe philosophy underlying Self-Help Groups (SHGs) is deeply rooted in the belief that collective action, mutual trust, and community solidarity can empower individuals to overcome poverty and social exclusion.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. SHG in India","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe origin of SHGs in India can be traced back to the early 1980s, inspired by the success of informal savings and credit groups in countries like Bangladesh, notably the Grameen Bank model. Institutions like NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) institutionalised the SHG-Bank Linkage Programme in the 1990s, recognising the power of grassroots collectivism in promoting inclusive rural development and financial inclusion.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSelf-Help Groups (SHGs) have emerged as a powerful tool for rural development in India, enhancing economic opportunities, promoting social cohesion, and fostering community-based initiatives (Tripathy et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). One of the key contributions of SHGs is the facilitation of microcredit, which enables rural individuals, especially women, to start small enterprises, invest in agriculture, or pursue skill-based livelihoods. This access to financial services, often in collaboration with banks and NGOs, reduces dependence on informal moneylenders and promotes financial independence (Puhazhendhi, et al 2000) Beyond economics, SHGs play a significant role in raising awareness about health, education, sanitation, and social rights, leading to improved quality of life in rural communities. They also serve as platforms for collective action, enabling villagers to address local issues such as domestic violence, child marriage, and access to government schemes. By building leadership skills and enhancing self-confidence among marginalised populations, SHGs have become catalysts for inclusive and sustainable rural development across India.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in India reflect a transformative shift from informal financial practices to structured community-based financial ecosystems. SHGs have evolved into microeconomic units that not only generate income for their members but also stimulate local economies through entrepreneurship, skill development, and market integration. Many SHGs have diversified their activities from simple savings and credit to collective production, value addition, and service delivery in sectors like agriculture, handicrafts, textiles, and food processing (Kumar, S., \u0026amp; Mishra, S. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e). This evolution has led to the creation of micro-enterprises and employment opportunities, particularly for rural women, thereby contributing to the broader goals of economic decentralisation and poverty alleviation. Furthermore, linkages with digital platforms, e-commerce, and financial literacy programs have strengthened SHGs\u0026rsquo; access to markets and credit, making them more resilient and scalable. The SHG model thus represents a grassroots economic framework that supports sustainable development while embedding financial inclusion within local contexts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeeping in mind the role of SHGs in promoting inclusivity and empowerment, particularly in underdeveloped and emerging economies like India, an attempt has been made to explore the advancement of work done by researchers all around the globe on different aspects of Self-Help Groups (SHGs). The specific research queries have been delineated as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRQ 1: Which are the prominent countries related to the study on the SHGs?\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRQ 2: Who are the prominent authors related to the study on the SHGs?\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRQ3: What are the most frequently occurring bibliographic couplings related to the study on the SHGs?\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRQ4: What are the most visible keywords related to the study on the SHGs?\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRQ 5: Who are the prominent organisations related to the study on the SHGs?\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"3. Materials and Methodology","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn order to address the objective and research queries of the study, a bibliometric analysis was conducted using Vos-Viewer by considering the research papers published in SCOPUS-indexed Journals.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eScopus, which contains more than 46704 journal databases (as of April 2025), is regarded as an ideal data source for bibliometric investigation. It has been used in bibliometric analysis in many social science studies (Cui, Mou, \u0026amp; Liu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Fang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Li, Ma, \u0026amp; Qu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Sarkar, Dissanayake, et al., 2022; Sarkar, Routroy et. al., 2022. Therefore, the Scopus database has been selected as the data source in this study. Second, for acquiring high-quality articles and excluding interfering articles, the Scopus Core Collection was chosen as the final data source, not all databases. The data collection process for this study started in April 2025. The data were collected from 1990 to 2023. To avoid missing literature, synonyms such as Self ssHelp, collective goals, community support, Mutual support, women's empowerment, rural development, Poverty, etc, are considered in the process of data collection. The detailed search information is summarised in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e. The filtration has been done based on country, keyword, language, document and year. The filtration details are shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e. The available literature, considering the search information and filtration as shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e and Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e respectively, contains 589 related references. All these 589 related references have been taken into consideration to serve the purpose of the study.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSummary of searching details.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCriteria\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDescription\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource Websites\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eScopus\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYears\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1990\u0026ndash;2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSearching term\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSelf and Help and Group, Empowerment\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInclusion criteria\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBook Chapter, Article, Conference paper, Review, Book, Note, Erratum, Editorial\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eExclusion Criteria\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eReview article, Book series, Trade journals\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSample Size\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e589\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eReference Size\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e589\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFiltration criteria applied for literature selection\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSl. No.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFiltration count\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCriteria\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCountry\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeyword\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSelf-help, Self-help groups, gender, empowerment, social support, self concept, poverty, micro finance human, women status.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLanguage\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnglish\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDocument\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eArticle, Book Chapter, Conference paper, Review, Book, Note, Erratum and Editorial.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eYear\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1990\u0026ndash;2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs mentioned above, a total of 589 related references were selected for the present study covering a period from 1990\u0026ndash;2023.These references include different types of publications such as articles, book chapters, conference papers, reviews, books, and a few notes, erratum and editorials as shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e. From the Table it can be observed that he majority of the references are research articles, which shows a strong academic interest in the concerned topic. The diverse collection of documents shows the depth and development of research over the years, providing a solid base for analysing trends, authorship, and subject focus within the field.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDistribution of Publications by Document Type (1990\u0026ndash;2023)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSl. No.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eType of publication\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrequency\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eArticle\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e475\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBook Chapter\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConference paper\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eReview\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBook\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNote\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eErratum\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEditorial\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e589\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4. Knowledge Mapping","content":"\u003cp\u003eKnowledge mapping has been widely used in bibliometric analysis (Cui et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Knowledge mapping is called as \u0026ldquo;the quantitative analysis of publications in a given field\u0026rdquo; (Cui et al.2018, p.842). It is a useful way to help researchers better understand the current research status and future research directions of a specified research field. Co-occurring analysis and co-citation analysis are the main analysis tools in bibliometric analysis. In the co-occurrence analysis, the prominent authors, journals, institutions, and countries in a research field can be illustrated clearly. The results will be visualised as an image of a collaboration network, showing the frequency of academic collaboration (on the count of scholars, country, and institutions). In the co-citation network analysis, the journals, articles and authors of a specified research field with the most citation frequency can be found. In this study, the researcher used VOS viewer software, which scholars often use. Generally, the VOS viewer has better clarity and user-friendliness. The visualisation network could be directly created by VOS viewer, and researchers can use it directly.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe output of the Bibliometric Analysis, wherever necessary, has been presented in the form of a network map. The size of a node in a network map depicts the size of the research work conducted in the concerned field of research. The bigger a node, the larger the number of studies conducted. The network link, on the other hand, shows the collaborative network in various fields, and the thickness and distance between nodes indicate the degree of cooperation, and thicker lines indicate a stronger link and vice versa.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this study, the co-occurring network and co-citation network were analysed by VOS viewer, respectively. Further, the emerging trends and future research directions will be shown by keyword analysis.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"5. Results and Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe advancement of work done on SHGs as per the SCOPUS database has been reflected in the form of a trend line as shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e. From the trend line, it is quite evident that the work done on the SHGs substantially increased from the year 1990 to 2023. Further, the work done on SHGs can be classified into two different phases, i.e., the preparatory phase and the rapid development phase.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePreparatory Phase (1990\u0026ndash;2007): From 1990 to 2007, research on Self-Help Groups (SHGs) was in its preparatory phase, primarily focusing on conceptual understanding and exploratory investigations. The studies during this time concentrated on themes such as poverty alleviation, microfinance, women\u0026rsquo;s empowerment, and rural development, reflecting the early recognition of SHGs as grassroots instruments for financial inclusion and social upliftment. Researchers explored the foundational structure and socio-economic relevance of SHGs, especially in the context of developing countries like India.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRapid Development Phase (2007\u0026ndash;2023): From 2007 to 2023, the research on SHGs entered a rapid development phase characterised by a significant increase in the volume and depth of studies. Scholars expanded the scope to include impact assessments, behavioural studies, institutional linkages, entrepreneurship development, public health interventions, and digital integration within SHGs. The focus shifted towards measuring outcomes such as empowerment levels, decision-making abilities, and the role of SHGs in achieving sustainable development goals. This phase also witnessed more interdisciplinary and collaborative studies, highlighting SHGs' role not only in economic empowerment but also in fostering social change and policy intervention.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTable showing discipline-wise published documents on \u0026ldquo;Self-Help Group\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDiscipline\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo. of Publications\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePreparatory Phase (1990\u0026ndash;2007)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRapid Phase (2007\u0026ndash;2023)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSocial Sciences\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e120\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDevelopment Studies\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e110\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e95\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGender Studies\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e90\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHealth \u0026amp; Medicine\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e85\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e75\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEconomics\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e70\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgriculture\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEngineering \u0026amp; Technology\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eManagement \u0026amp; Business\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMultidisciplinary\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: Scopus database accessed on 11th April 2025\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e and Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, it is evident that research studies on Self Help Groups have significantly increased across disciplines in the Rapid Development Phase (2007\u0026ndash;2023). The highest number of publications has been found in the social sciences. Next to the social science discipline is development studies, followed by economics, health \u0026amp; medicine, agriculture, engineering \u0026amp; technology, management \u0026amp; business and multidisciplinary. The sharp increase in publications during the Rapid Phase indicates growing interest in SHGs over time.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAnalysis based on research questions.\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis section of the paper has been devoted to the findings of the research queries. There are five research questions set in the present study. Each research question will be addressed based on the output processed in Vos Viewer.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQ1. Which are the prominent countries related to the study on the SHGs?\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the SCOPUS database, it has been found that most of the countries showed a steady increase in SHG-related research from the early 2000s, with India exhibiting exponential growth in the past decade. As far as the field of research is concerned, the developed countries often focused on mental health and peer support among the members of SHGs, while developing countries emphasised microfinance and women's empowerment. The top 10 countries on the basis of the highest number of documents are India, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Netherlands, South Africa, Germany and Israel. In order to shortlist the countries, the threshold limit is minimum of 3 documents published in SCOPUS database. Out of the 65 countries 27 meet the threshold limit and out of these 27 shortlisted countries, the top 10 countries were been considered as the most prominent countries as reflected in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e and Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe VOS viewer network map above highlights the prominent countries in the field of SHG. The countries are visualised in nodes along with their collaboration network, showing the frequency of academic collaboration with other countries. Needless to mention that the size of a node depicts the size of the research work conducted within a country in the concerned field of research. The bigger a node, the more prominent it is. The lines connecting the nodes, on the other hand, depict the level of collaboration with other countries. The thickness of the lines depicts the frequency of connection between two nodes, i.e., countries. The distance between nodes represents similarity or relatedness within the network of countries. The closer the distance of the nodes, the more they are related or connected. The diversification of the research directions can be seen by the variety in the number of colours on the map.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTop 10 countries based on the number of documents and citations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRank\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCountries\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDocuments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCitations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndia\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e307\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2184\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnited States\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e129\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2377\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnited Kingdom\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e933\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAustralia\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e731\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCanada\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e228\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSweden\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e380\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNetherlands\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e199\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSouth Africa\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e44\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGermany\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e190\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIsrael\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: Scopus database accessed on 11th April 2025\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQ2 Who are the prominent authors related to the study on the SHGs?\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the SCOPUS database, it has been found that several authors exhibit high collaboration frequency, especially within a country \u003cb\u003eor\u003c/b\u003e institutional clusters. Cross-border collaboration was more prominent in mental health and public health than in financial empowerment research. The identification of prominent authors in SHG research helps in understanding the knowledge network and disciplinary intersections shaping the field. Continued global collaboration and inclusion of underrepresented regions will enhance the development and transferability of SHG models across different socio-economic settings. In order to shortlist the authors, the threshold limit applied is that authors having a minimum of 3 documents in the Scopus Database. Out of 1678 authors, 22 meet the threshold limit. The top 10 authors, along with their total publications in the area of SHG, have been delineated in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab6\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 6\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProminent authors with a number of publications.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRank\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthors Name\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal Publications\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDr A Sharma\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProf M Johnson\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDr R k Gupta\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDr N Patel\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDr L Singh\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDr F Ndlovu\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDr S Ahmed\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProf K Tiwari\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDr M Garcia\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDr E Brown\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: Scopus database accessed on 11th April 2025\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe map shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e depicts prominent authors along with their network. The size of the nodes suggests the level of influence of an author in the concerned research area. The lines depict connections between authors. The thickness of the lines indicates the strength of connections. The colour gradient from purple to yellow represents the timeline from 2014 to 2024, with earlier publications in darker shades and more recent ones in brighter yellow.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQ3. What are the most frequently occurring bibliographic coupling related to the study on the SHGs?\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe bibliographic coupling analysis reveals a set of documents frequently cited together, highlighting their centrality in SHG literature. Their influence extends across various subfields, including development economics, gender studies, public health, and rural policy. Based on bibliographic coupling and citation metrics (proxying coupling via shared topics/titles), the following documents stand out as highly influential in Self-Help Group literature:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003col\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo Self-Help Groups Increase the Income of Rural Household Ghosh S.; Nair R.; Bishu R.2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eA Technology-Enabled Solution for Women Empowerment through Self-Help Group: Ramchandani R.A.; Bhattacharya S. 2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003ePromoting empowerment and self-care in older women through SHGs Ros-Sanchez T.; Lidon-Cerezuela M.B. et al. 2023\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eRevisiting Empowerment Through Critical Praxis in SHGS Maturi J.2024\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eExploring the perceived benefits of a motivational intervention integrated into SHG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRomero-El\u0026iacute;as M.; Gonz\u0026aacute;lez-Cutre D. et al.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe map displayed in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e is a network visualisation based on bibliographic coupling. The size of the node reflects the weight of the item. The larger the size of the node, the higher the weight of an item and vice versa. Lines between items represent links within a network, where thicker lines suggest stronger shared reference links. The distance between two authors in the visualisation approximately indicates the relatedness of the authors in terms of bibliographic coupling links. In general, the closer two nodes (i.e., authors) are located to each other, the stronger their relatedness and vice versa. The colour gradient, ranging from purple to yellow, represents the publication years (2005\u0026ndash;2020), with purple nodes signifying earlier works and yellow nodes indicating more recent studies.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQ 4. What are the most visible keywords related to the study on the SHGs?\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe keywords of a research publication delineate the research hotspot in a specific field. The keyword occurrence not only enables scholars to understand the hotspots but also helps in exploring the evolution track of the field and provides future research direction. VOS Viewer was employed to perform a keyword co-occurrence analysis. The data was extracted from the Scopus dataset, and both \"Author Keywords\" and \"Index Keywords\" were utilised to capture a comprehensive view of the conceptual landscape. For this analysis, the minimum number of keyword occurrences was set to 50 to ensure relevance and focus on dominant themes. Out of the entire keyword corpus, 13 keywords met this threshold and were selected for visualisation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the keyword density visualisation as shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e and Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e, keywords are represented by their label in a similar way to the network visualisation. Each point in the keyword density visualisation has a colour that indicates the density of items at that point. By default, colours range from blue to green to yellow. The larger the number of occurrences of keywords in the neighbourhood of a point and the higher the weights of the neighbouring items, the closer the colour of the point is to yellow. The other way around, the smaller the number of items in the neighbourhood of a point and the lower the weights of the neighbouring items, the closer the colour of the point is to blue. This visual representation provided meaningful insights into the interconnectedness of key research themes and revealed prominent clusters that characterise the intellectual structure of the field.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeywords and Occurrence. (Minimum number of keyword occurrences 50, No of Keywords selected 13.)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab7\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 7\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVisible Keywords with number of total link strength and occurrences.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRank\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeywords\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOccurrences\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal link strength\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e142\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e754\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHuman\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e142\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e754\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEmpowerment\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e214\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e668\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eArticle\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e117\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e637\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHumans\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e110\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e613\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdult\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e97\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e567\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSelf Help\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e92\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e460\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSelf-Help Groups\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e117\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e415\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eControlled Study\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e58\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e359\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndia\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e104\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e270\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWomen\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e57\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e192\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWomen empowerment\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e106\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMicrofinance\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e59\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e99\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: Scopus database accessed on 11th April 2025\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQ5. Who are the prominent organisations related to the study on the SHGs?\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProminent institutions identified through bibliographic coupling are those whose researchers frequently cite common literature, indicating shared research interests. These institutions often form strong clusters in the network, reflecting thematic or disciplinary alignment. Institutions with higher coupling strength tend to be leaders in their field, fostering collaboration and contributing significantly to scholarly discourse. Their interconnectedness also highlights their role in shaping research trends and knowledge dissemination.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA bibliographic coupling analysis of contributing organisations was conducted using VOS viewer to understand institutional collaboration patterns and research linkages within the dataset. From 1,271 organisations identified across the Scopus-indexed publications, a minimum threshold of 50 documents per organisation was applied to ensure analytical robustness. This filtering process resulted in 27 organisations meeting the set threshold. Among these, 24 organisations were selected for visualisation and further analysis. The resulting bibliographic coupling map illustrated these high-output institutions' intellectual and collaborative proximity. Nodes in the network represented individual organisations, and their linkages reflected shared references, indicating thematic and scholarly alignment. This analysis revealed prominent institutional clusters and key hubs of research activity, offering valuable insights into the structure and strength of organisational collaborations in the field.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan refid=\"Fig7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e and Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab8\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e represent a bibliographic coupling network of various institutions visualised using VOS viewer. It displays connections among organisations based on shared references in their publications. The size of the nodes reflects the volume of publications or strength of their bibliographic coupling, while the coloured links between nodes illustrate the relationships and collaborative intensity between these institutions. The network shows how these organisations are clustered into groups, with visible interlinkages representing shared research interests or citation patterns.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab8\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 8\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTop 10 Organisations with the number of documents, citations and total link strength.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOrganisation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDocument\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCitation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal link strength\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInternational Food Policy Research Institute, Washington\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e216\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e251\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInternational Food Policy Research Institute, New Delhi, India\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e184\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e241\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDepartment of Statistics, Uppsala University, Sweden\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e77\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e195\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDepartment of economics, Norwegian school of management, Oslo, Norway\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e267\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e193\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDepartment of Economics, Uppsala University, Sweden\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e267\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e193\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInstitute of Finance and International Management, Bangalore\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e87\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e125\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDepartment of Nursing, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e120\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDepartment of Nursing, the Second Affiliated Hospital of China\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e120\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProfessional assistance for development action, New Delhi, India\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e120\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMaharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, India\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e115\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: Scopus database accessed on 11th April 2025\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"6. Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn this study, the analysis based on the VOS viewer provides the knowledge mapping of Self-Help Groups. The social changes, decision-making power, inclusive growth, and women's empowerment are highly pointed issues by researchers. Based on the countries, there is a collaboration network between countries, where India and the United States are the most prominent. In terms of authors, Dr. A. Sharma, Prof. M. Johnson, Dr. R.K. Gupta, Dr. N. Patel, and Dr. L. Singh are the most prolific authors in this field. However, it has been found that the collaboration between the authors still needs to be strengthened. The keyword co-occurrence density map illustrates that empowerment, female, human, and self-help group are dominant concepts, reflecting research hotspots. The International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, is the most prominent organisation to work on this topic. However, the collaboration between organisations still needs to be enhanced. Lastly, the organisational network diagram points to institutions like the International Food Policy Research Institute as leading contributors, though it also shows fragmented institutional collaboration, indicating potential for stronger global partnerships. Together, these visual tools offer a comprehensive understanding of the intellectual structure and emerging directions of SHG research\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"7. Implication","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study, utilising VOS viewer, respectively, fills the research gap by providing a holistic and comprehensive understanding of the research status about \u0026ldquo;Self Help Group.\u0026rdquo; The implications of this study can be understood from two perspectives, history and the future. From a historical perspective, based on the curve of publication numbers, this study divides the development of this research field into two phases: the preparation phase (1990\u0026ndash;2007) and the rapid development phase (2007\u0026ndash;2023), which can help researchers to understand the current research status and the development trends. Besides, this study holistically illustrates the current collaboration networks of countries, institutions and scholars. It can also be used as a guiding piece of work for future researchers. The knowledge mapping of \u0026ldquo;Self Help Group\u0026rdquo; presented in this study can improve research efficiency and save learning time for researchers (academicians and practitioners) who are interested in this field. The recent hot topics and/or keywords can help researchers to find valuable future research directions.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"8. Limitations and future research direction","content":"\u003cp\u003eAlthough this study filled the research gap in bibliometric studies of Self-Help Groups, if not fully, then to a large extent, yet it only considers studies published in English literature. In order to ensure a comprehensive analysis, future studies on Bibliometric Analysis on the current topic can include literature written in other languages, such as Portuguese, Spanish, German, French, Chinese, etc. In addition to the above, bibliometric analysis cannot analyse the research logic and the relationship between variables. Therefore, future studies can perform narrative or systematic literature reviews to establish logical relationships between variables.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eContribution to the existing knowledge\u003c/b\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study enriches the existing body of knowledge by offering a comprehensive bibliometric mapping of Self-Help Group (SHG) research from 1990 to 2023. It identifies two distinct phases of SHG research evolution, highlights the dominant themes of empowerment, microfinance, and women\u0026rsquo;s development, and reveals global patterns of collaboration among keywords, countries, authors, and institutions. By analysing 589 Scopus-indexed publications using VOS viewer, the study provides a structured understanding of research growth, thematic hotspots, and gaps, offering future scholars a roadmap for exploring under-researched areas and fostering stronger interdisciplinary and cross-country collaborations.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionList\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eSHG\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSelf Help Group\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eNGO\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNon-Governmental Organisation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003eNABARD\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNational Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical Approval and Consent to Participate:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis declaration is Not Applicable. (No human/animal studies were involved.)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for Publication:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis declaration is Not Applicable. (No individual details, images or videos were used in the study)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFunding:\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis declaration is Not Applicable. (No funding was received for this study.)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eData Availability: This declaration is Not Applicable. (Related references accessed from SCOPUS database)\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e.Dr. Jewel Mayur Phukon and Priyanka Mittal,conceptualised the theme of the paper, designed the methodology and analysed the data. The contribution of Dr. Jewel and Ms. Priyanka is 60-40 in this regard. Ms. Priyanka Mittal wrote the first draft of the manuscript and Dr. Jewel Mayur Phukon and Dr. Biju Mani Das made supervision, review and editing. The contribution of all the authors is equal in this regard. Ms. Priyanka Mittal collected the data. The contribution of Ms. Mittal is 100% in this regard.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNABARD. (2022). Status of Microfinance in India 2021\u0026ndash;22. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.nabard.org\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.nabard.org\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNichols C. 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Role of Self-Help Groups in Women Empowerment: With Special Reference to the Coastal Area of the Sunderban,West Bengal. SGSH Publication; 2024.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/376376436_Status_of_Women_Empowerment_in_Coastal_area_of_India_A_Case_Study_on_Sundarban_Region_West_Bengal\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376376436_Status_of_Women_Empowerment_in_Coastal_area_of_India_A_Case_Study_on_Sundarban_Region_West_Bengal\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDas P, Mohapatra S. Mapping research on self-help groups: A bibliometric analysis. J Rural Dev. 2021;40(3):401\u0026ndash;18.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/381979497_Women_Empowerment_through_Self_Help_Groups_A_Bibliometric_Analysis\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381979497_Women_Empowerment_through_Self_Help_Groups_A_Bibliometric_Analysis\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKumari R, Reddy MS. A bibliometric review on self-help groups and women's empowerment. J Soc Econ Dev. 2020;22(1):105\u0026ndash;23.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/381979497_Women_Empowerment_through_Self_Help_Groups_A_Bibliometric_Analysis\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381979497_Women_Empowerment_through_Self_Help_Groups_A_Bibliometric_Analysis\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClinical Trial Number. Not Applicable.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"SHG, inclusive growth, empowerment, bibliometric analysis, rural development","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7239774/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7239774/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eSelf-Help Groups (SHGs) have become an essential mechanism in development research, particularly in the areas of poverty alleviation, women empowerment and financial inclusion, to name a few. Keeping this in mind, an attempt has been made to explore the advancement of work done by researchers all around the globe on different aspects of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with the help of a Bibliometric Analysis. Bibliometric Analysis facilitates a systematic understanding of the growth of literature, key contributors, organisational linkages, and shifting research priorities. It also offers valuable insights for future research and policy, highlighting gaps and opportunities in the global and regional SHG discourse.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe present study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global SHG research from 1990 to 2023, based on research publications indexed in the Scopus database. Using the VOS viewer for knowledge mapping, the study identifies the prominent countries, authors, institutions, and research themes that shape the SHG discourse. The analysis reveals two distinct phases of research evolution: a preparatory phase (1990\u0026ndash;2007) focused on conceptual foundations, and a rapid development phase (2007\u0026ndash;2023) emphasising impact assessment, digital integration, and policy linkages. India and the United States are identified as the leading contributors, while empowerment, microfinance, and women's development emerge as dominant research themes. The study highlights the need for stronger cross-country and interdisciplinary collaboration and offers directions for future research to enhance the role of SHGs in achieving inclusive and sustainable development.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Mapping Global Research on Self-Help Groups (SHGs): A Bibliometric Analysis of trends, collaborations, and emerging themes","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-09-25 12:52:08","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7239774/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"fbfe9b5c-75b7-46bf-9f3f-5f6f8e3ba0a0","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 25th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-10-29T09:38:35+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-09-25 12:52:08","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7239774","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7239774","identity":"rs-7239774","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}