The research landscape of SME finance: Bibliometric analysis

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are pivotal for economic growth and employment in both developed and developing economies. Access to financial resources, particularly credit, stands as a critical challenge for SMEs globally. This study employs a bibliometric review enhanced by Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools to explore the landscape of SME finance research, aiming to identify trends, gaps, and emerging topics.
The study's objectives encompass: outlining trends in SME finance research; comparing research agendas across developed and developing nations; investigating international collaboration patterns; examining the role of 'risk' in SME finance research; identifying prominent and emerging topics.
Initial findings highlight the increasing prominence of SME finance research, characterized by applied studies and contributions from various sources, including central banks. Developed nations dominate, China leads among developing countries. Shared research themes include growth, innovation, and information. Developing countries focus on 'trade credit' and 'supply-chain finance.' Recommendations include encouraging more diverse research from developing countries, promoting interdisciplinary collaborations with the fields like IT and Ethics; and exploring less frequent keywords for niche insights.