DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: ARE THEY RESHAPING LOCAL GOVERNANCE? A SCOPUS AND WOS BIBLIOMETRIC EXPLORATION

Purpose. This study provides a comprehensive synthesis of global research on local governance in the context of digital transformation and sustainable development, thereby identifying emerging research trends and themes. Methods. The data utilized for this analysis comprises a pooled dataset from two primary databases: Scopus and Web of Science, with analysis conducted using RStudio and Biblioshiny. A comprehensive analysis of all 48 peer-reviewed documents reveals that global research on local governance in the context of digital transformation and sustainable development began relatively late, with the first publications emerging in 2021. Findings. The findings highlight several trend topics within this subject area, including: "digital transformation", "local governance", "sustainability", "smart city", and "sustainable development". Frequently used keywords encompass: “sustainability”, “digital transformation”, “smart city”, ‘cities”, “digitalization”, “e-governance”, “smartness”, “e-government”, “green growth”, “industrial structure”, “innovation”, “local authorities”, and “public administration”. Value. This study represents the first systematic effort to evaluate global research on local governance in the context of digital transformation and sustainable development, employing a bibliometric approach.