TRENDS IN THE STUDY OF DERADICALIZATION: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

The rising threat of violent extremism and growing global instability have led to increased interest in deradicalization in recent years. There has been an expansion of research on this topic, featuring various approaches and studies from different fields. This highlights the need to systemize knowledge on deradicalization. The study aimed to identify key trends in deradicalization research through a bibliometric analysis over the past few decades. The database is based on Scopus articles, and the methodology includes bibliometric analysis using a keyword search query. The selection of articles followed the PRISMA guidelines. During the research, VOSviewer and R Studio were used for analysis and visualization, which revealed thematic clusters and institutional research centers.  The findings indicated that deradicalization was not a highly relevant topic for many years until 2015, when it became non-cyclical. Publication activity began to rise in 2015 and continues to grow, becoming more institutionalized. The analysis of the most cited articles identified three main areas: psychological models of radicalization and deradicalization, empirical studies of exit and reintegration programs, and challenges related to the digital environment and evolving political strategies. Further, the thematic analysis showed that three key concepts remain stable: “radicalization”, “deradicalization”, and “terrorism”. Supporting terms focus on several areas, including gender studies, legal aspects, and online radicalization. The results highlight the interdisciplinary nature of deradicalization and suggest opportunities for further research in comparative, gender, and digital studies.