Unveiling the evolution of Dalit studies: A systematic literature review with bibliometric analysis

This study conducted systematic bibliometric research to explore the evolution of Dalit studies. Dalit studies, an emerging academic field in South Asia from the 1990s, represent a reorientation of scholarship’s attention away from the study of untouchability as a mere phenomenon toward the recovery and recognition of Dalit actors. On the basis of the wide Scopus and Web of Science databases, this study identifies the most relevant authors and sources, important themes, and significant developments in the genre of Dalit studies in the past significant 30-year period, spanning from 1995- 2025. This exhaustive analysis elucidates the field’s profoundly interdisciplinary character, its permanent expansion into different cultural dimensions, and its increasingly crucial role in comprehending the history and impact of caste-based social structure. This bibliometric study analysed 1513 documents from the abovementioned time period. These documents are closely examined via R Studio software. It helps researchers apply analytical methods, including thematic analysis, descriptive methods, and advanced visualization techniques. These techniques played a pivotal role in unearthing the ongoing trends in the research of Dalit studies and providing important insights for the development of this domain. The findings of this study create the scope for future research in this continuously evolving field and excavate the problems that are yet to be researched. This study provides some significant insights that foster a detailed understanding of the social discrimination and injustices faced by Dalits and promote social harmony and equity through Dalit studies. Ultimately, this research formulates the platform for the ongoing scholarly debates on the themes of Dalit studies.