Bibliometric Analysis of Quality Assurance In Indonesian Islamic Higher Education: Mapping the Knowledge Landscape and Policy Implications

Abd Warits; Mohammad Faizul Husnayain; Imaduddin Imaduddin; Paisun Paisun; Abdul Azis

doi:10.31538/ndhq.v11i1.350

Authors

Abd Warits Universitas Annuqayah
Mohammad Faizul Husnayain Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Purwokerto
Imaduddin Imaduddin Universitas Islam Internasional Darullugah Wadda'wah
Paisun Paisun Universitas Annuqayah
Abdul Azis Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Syariah (STIS) Nurud Dhalam

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31538/ndhq.v11i1.350

Keywords:

Quality Assurance, Islamic Higher Education Indonesia, Innovation and Competitiveness, Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Indonesian Islamic higher education institutions face a distinctive dual mandate of maintaining religious authenticity whilst achieving global academic competitiveness. However, the causal mechanisms linking innovation to competitive advantage in this context remain systematically underexplored. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of quality assurance and innovation research in Indonesian Islamic higher education from 2015 to 2025, aiming to map the intellectual landscape, identify thematic evolution, and examine collaboration patterns within this emerging field. Using Publish or Perish (Version 8) for data extraction and VOSviewer (Version 1.6.20) for network analysis, 500 publications were retrieved from Google Scholar and systematically screened in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Citation analysis was conducted on a subset of 198 publications with complete metadata, yielding 2,208 total citations and an h-index of 22. Five thematic clusters were identified: Innovation-Competitiveness Nexus (35–40% of keywords), Quality Assurance Systems (25–28%), Islamic Higher Education Context (18–22%), Leadership and Governance (12–15%), and Stakeholder Engagement (8–10%). Temporal analysis reveals a three-phase evolution from descriptive quality assurance documentation (2015–2018) toward deeper theoretical development of the relationship between innovation and competitive advantage (2022–2025). Analysis of the same subset further demonstrates limited and dispersed collaboration patterns among authors, with a mean authorship of 2.18, a network density of 0.14, and an international co-authorship rate of 8.1%. These findings yield a triple-pathway theoretical proposition quality assurance infrastructure, digital transformation capacity, and Islamic identity integration through which innovation may translate into competitive advantage, extending Dynamic Capabilities frameworks to religious institutional contexts

References

Adams, J. (2013). Collaborations: The fourth age of research. Nature, 497(7451), 557–560. https://doi.org/10.1038/497557a

Akbari, T. T., & Pratomo, R. R. (2022). Higher education digital transformation implementation in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jurnal Kajian Komunikasi, 10(1), 52. https://doi.org/10.24198/jkk.v10i1.38052

Akhmad, Badruddin, S., Januaripin, M., Salwa, & Gasperz, V. (2024). Inovasi dalam Manajemen Pendidikan Tinggi: Membangun Masa Depan yang Berkelanjutan. In Inovasi dalam Manajemen Pendidikan Tinggi: Membangun Masa Depan yang Berkelanjutan. books.google.com.

Anderson, J. K., Howarth, E., Vainre, M., Humphrey, A., Jones, P. B., & Ford, T. J. (2020). Advancing methodology for scoping reviews: Recommendations arising from a scoping literature review (SLR) to inform transformation of Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 20(1), 242. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-020-01127-3

Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959–975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007

Aristovnik, A., Keržič, D., Ravšelj, D., Tomaževič, N., & Umek, L. (2020). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on life of higher education students: A global perspective. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(20), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208438

Bag, S., Dhamija, P., Luthra, S., & Huisingh, D. (2023). How big data analytics can help manufacturing companies strengthen supply chain resilience in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Logistics Management, 34(4), 1141–1164. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLM-02-2021-0095

Bakrie, M., Sujanto, B., & Rugaiyah, R. (2019). The Influence of Service Quality, Institutional Reputation, Students’ Satisfaction on Students’ Loyalty in Higher Education Institution. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Studies, 1(5). https://doi.org/10.29103/ijevs.v1i5.1615

Barabâsi, A.-L., Jeong, H., Néda, Z., Ravasz, E., Schubert, A., & Vicsek, T. (2002). Evolution of the social network of scientific collaborations. Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and Its Applications, 311(3–4), 590–614.

Barney, J. (2015). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. International Business Strategy: Theory and Practice, 17(1), 283–301. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199277681.003.0003

Biancone, P. Pietro, Brescia, V., Lanzalonga, F., & Alam, G. M. (2022). Using bibliometric analysis to map innovative business models for vertical farm entrepreneurs. British Food Journal, 124(7), 2239–2261.

Bornmann, L., & Mutz, R. (2015). Growth rates of modern science: A bibliometric analysis based on the number of publications and cited references. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 66(11), 2215–2222. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.23329

Calhoun, K. N. (2021). Competing discourses of diversity and inclusion: Institutional rhetoric and graduate student narratives at two minority serving institutions. University of California, Santa Barbara.

Cobo, M. J., López‐Herrera, A. G., Herrera‐Viedma, E., & Herrera, F. (2011). Science mapping software tools: Review, analysis, and cooperative study among tools. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 62(7), 1382–1402.

Dimaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (2021a). the Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields. The New Economic Sociology: A Reader, 48(2), 111–134. https://doi.org/10.2307/2095101

Dimaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (2021b). the Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields. The New Economic Sociology: A Reader, 48(2), 111–134. https://doi.org/10.2307/2095101

Dold, L. (2017). Competitive advantage. Engineering, 13(11–12), 18–19.

Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070

Eldridge, S. M., Chan, C. L., Campbell, M. J., Bond, C. M., Hopewell, S., Thabane, L., Lancaster, G. A., Altman, D., Bretz, F., Campbell, M., Cobo, E., Craig, P., Davidson, P., Groves, T., Gumedze, F., Hewison, J., Hirst, A., Hoddinott, P., Lamb, S. E., … Tugwell, P. (2016). CONSORT 2010 statement: Extension to randomised pilot and feasibility trials. The BMJ, 355. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i5239

Fuadiy, M. R., Rozi, M. A. F., Arafah, N. N., Kamal, L., & Sunoko, A. (2025). Mapping the Digital Transformation of Education in Indonesia from 2012 to Early 2025: A Bibliometric Analysis of Scopus-Indexed Publications. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 3(2), 276–306.

Guerrero, M., Urbano, D., & Fayolle, A. (2016). Entrepreneurial activity and regional competitiveness: Evidence from European entrepreneurial universities. Journal of Technology Transfer, 41(1), 105–131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-014-9377-4

Helena, Y., & Sumanti, S. T. (2025). Digital Transformation in Islamic Education, Improving The Quality of Teachers in Islamic Education in Padangsidimpuan City. AJIS: Academic Journal of Islamic Studies, 9(2), 450–458. https://doi.org/10.29240/ajis.v9i2.12247

Hidayah, N. N., Lowe, A., & De Loo, I. (2021). Identity drift: The multivocality of ethical identity in Islamic financial institution. Journal of Business Ethics, 171(3), 475–494.

Jayabalan, J., & Jeyanthi, N. (2024). A Review on State-of-Art Blockchain Schemes for Electronic Health Records Management. Cybernetics and Information Technologies, 24(1), 35–63. https://doi.org/10.2478/cait-2024-0003

Kawabata, M. K., & Camargo Junior, A. S. (2020). Innovation and institutions’ quality: A comparative study between countries. International Journal of Innovation Science, 12(2), 169–185. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJIS-10-2019-0100

Linnenluecke, M. K., Marrone, M., & Singh, A. K. (2020). Conducting systematic literature reviews and bibliometric analyses. Australian Journal of Management, 45(2), 175–194.

Malizal, Z. Z. (2025). Islamic education and globalization: Curriculum, identity, and digital integration. Sinergi International Journal of Islamic Studies, 3(2), 70–82.

Marginson, S. (2022a). What drives global science? The four competing narratives. Studies in Higher Education, 47(8), 1566–1584. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2021.1942822

Marginson, S. (2022b). What is global higher education? Oxford Review of Education, 48(4), 492–517. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2022.2061438

Marginson, S., & Yang, L. (2022). Individual and collective outcomes of higher education: A comparison of Anglo-American and Chinese approaches. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 20(1), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2021.1932436

Melisa, R., Ashadi, A., Triastuti, A., Hidayati, S., Salido, A., Luansi Ero, P. E., Marlini, C., Zefrin, Z., & Al Fuad, Z. (2025). Critical Thinking in the Age of AI: A Systematic Review of AI’s Effects on Higher Education. Educational Process: International Journal, 14, e2025031. https://doi.org/10.22521/edupij.2025.14.31

Miotto, G., Del-Castillo-Feito, C., & Blanco-González, A. (2020). Reputation and legitimacy: Key factors for Higher Education Institutions’ sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Business Research, 112, 342–353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.11.076

Moh Khoeron. (2025). No Title. Pusaka, Kemang RI, 1.

Moral-Muñoz, J. A., Herrera-Viedma, E., Santisteban-Espejo, A., & Cobo, M. J. (2020). Software tools for conducting bibliometric analysis in science: An up-to-date review. Profesional de La Informacion, 29(1). https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2020.ene.03

Mulyasa, E., & Aryani, W. D. (2022). Implementasi Sistem Penjaminan Mutu Internal Di Era Merdeka Belajar. Aksara: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan Nonformal, 8(2), 933. https://doi.org/10.37905/aksara.8.2.933-944.2022

Newman, M. E. J. (2011). The structure of scientific collaboration networks. The Structure and Dynamics of Networks, 9781400841356(2), 221–226. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400841356.221

Orians, E. L. (2013). Book Review: The Innovative University: Changing the DNA of Higher Education from the Inside Out. In Journal of Student Financial Aid (Vol. 43, Issue 1). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.55504/0884-9153.1005

Palomino, M., Dávila, A., & Melendez, K. (2019). Methodologies, Methods, Techniques and Tools Used on SLR Elaboration: A Mapping Study. In J. Mejia, M. Muñoz, Á. Rocha, A. Peña, & M. Pérez-Cisneros (Eds), Trends and Applications in Software Engineering (pp. 14–30). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01171-0_2

Perez, C., Khasanah, F. N., Ismiyanti, Y., & Herman, H. (2025). Curriculum Innovation and Technology Based Learning for Digital Skills in Vocational Education. Jurnal MENTARI: Manajemen, Pendidikan Dan Teknologi Informasi, 4(1), 94–104.

Rachman, P., Abidin, M., Soleh, A. K., & Murfi, A. (2025). Balanced Reputation Management Strategy: A Cross-Site case study of branding image for competitive advantage in Indonesian Islamic Higher Education institutions. Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 14(1), 15–34.

Ranga, M., & Etzkowitz, H. (2013). Triple Helix Systems: An Analytical Framework for Innovation Policy and Practice in the Knowledge Society. Industry and Higher Education, 27(4), 237–262. https://doi.org/10.5367/ihe.2013.0165

Ruano-Borbalan, J. C. (2025). The transformative impact of artificial intelligence on higher education: A critical reflection on current trends and futures directions. International Journal of Chinese Education, 14(1), 2212585X251319364. https://doi.org/10.1177/2212585X251319364

Smith, C., & Sotala, K. (2011). Knowledge , networks and nations Global scientific collaboration in the 21st century. Networks, 03/11(RS Policy document 03/11), 114.

Srivastava, S., Sultan, A., & Chashti, N. (2017). Influence of innovation competence on firm level competitiveness: An exploratory study. Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 11(1), 63–75.

Sumiati, E. (2024). Transformation of Islamic Higher Education: Policy Strategy and Implementation. International Journal of Islamic Educational Reform, 3(1), 45–60.

Syahriani, R. (2025). Balancing Religious Identity and Globalization: Leadership Motivations for Internationalization in Indonesian Islamic Universities. Jurnal Ilmu Manajemen Sosial Humaniora (JIMSH), 7(2), 130–140. https://doi.org/10.51454/jimsh.v7i2.1100

Teece, D. J., Pisano, G., & Shuen, A. (2009). Dynamic capabilities and strategic management. Knowledge and Strategy, 18(7), 77–116. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035334995.00014

Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2014). Visualizing bibliometric networks. In Measuring scholarly impact: Methods and practice (pp. 285–320). Springer.

Van Eck, N., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538.

Verma, S., & Gustafsson, A. (2020). Investigating the emerging COVID-19 research trends in the field of business and management: A bibliometric analysis approach. Journal of Business Research, 118, 253–261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.06.057

Wagner, C. S., Whetsell, T. A., & Mukherjee, S. (2019). International research collaboration: Novelty, conventionality, and atypicality in knowledge recombination. Research Policy, 48(5), 1260–1270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2019.01.002

Waltman, L., & Van Eck, N. J. (2013). A smart local moving algorithm for large-scale modularity-based community detection. European Physical Journal B, 86(11), 471. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2013-40829-0

Watts, D. J., & Strogatz, S. H. (1998). Collective dynamics of ‘small-world’networks. Nature, 393(6684), 440–442.

Zehir, C., Gurol, Y., Karaboga, T., & Kole, M. (2016). Strategic Human Resource Management and Firm Performance: The Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 235, 372–381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.11.045

Zhao, J., Rahman, S. ur, Afshan, S., Ali, M. S. E., Ashfaq, H., & Idrees, S. (2023). Green investment, institutional quality, and environmental performance: Evidence from G-7 countries using panel NARDL approach. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(45), 100845–100860. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29332-9

Zhu, J., & Liu, W. (2020). A tale of two databases: The use of Web of Science and Scopus in academic papers. Scientometrics, 123(1), 321–335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-020-03387-8