A bibliometric analysis on social innovation and sustainable development goals

Technological innovations and developments directly impact social structure and social life, and this process has given rise to the concept of social innovation. Social innovation is the process of developing and implementing innovative and effective solutions to social and environmental problems. While academic and political interest in social innovation has increased in recent years, there is limited information about which Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) these innovations address and by whom they are developed. This study aims to present a systematic approach to social innovation and reveal the current status and trends in the field. This study conducted a systematic literature review to examine definitions and trends regarding the concept of social innovation. Using the keywords "social innovation in the sustainable development goals" in the Web of Science database, studies covering the period 2015-2024 were scanned in the SSCI, SCI-EXPANDED, A&HCI, ESCI, CPCI-SSH, CPCI-S, BKCI-SSH, and BKCI-S indexes. A bibliometric analysis was used to identify 3,961 publications. These publications were mapped and visualized using VOSviewer software, and keyword analysis was conducted. The analysis determined that the most frequently used keywords were "sustainable development goals" and "social innovation." Lucie Cluver and Ali H. Mokdad were identified as the researchers with the most publications and co-authorships. In terms of publication distribution by country, the People's Republic of China ranked first with 981 publications, followed by the UK (786) and the US (470), while Turkey ranked lower with 53 publications. The study reveals that the focus of social innovation differs between developed and developing countries. The findings indicate that research is particularly focused on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Climate Action (SDG 13), and Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), demonstrating that these areas are prioritized by both global policy agendas and funding mechanisms. Furthermore, five key actors in social innovation processes were identified: social entrepreneurs, civil society and non-profit organizations, public institutions, private sector firms, and social enterprises. The results indicate that social innovation is still in its early stages of development, and its future direction remains uncertain. The study provides an important reference for understanding the contribution of social innovation to the sustainable development goals and addressing shortcomings in this area.