Exclusion and marginalization in library and information science research: A scoping review, 1994–2025

This research undertakes a scoping review methodology using PRISMA-ScR checklist as the main reporting guide. The aim is to explore how the topic of exclusion and marginalization in knowledge production and representation within the field of library and information science have been studied and developed over the years in the lens of epistemic injustice. The study analyzes patterns in publications, citations, and key authors to identify dominant themes and concepts, as well as groups or forms of knowledge that are excluded, and how these exclusionary practices are framed in the discourse. The prolific authors of the discourse are Mehra, Patin, and Youngman. The key contributing countries are USA, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada; whereas the top institutions are University of South Carolina (USA) and Charles Sturt University (Australia). The underrepresented communities and knowledge systems identified in the literature as excluded and marginalized relate with: (1) race and ethnicity, (2) knowledge systems and materials, and (3) sexual orientation, gender diversity, and gendered roles. These are mainly reflected in the domains of: (1) collection development, representation and access, archival and cultural collections, (2) knowledge organization, description, and classification, and (3) library policy, governance, and organizational practices. While the path to inclusion remains distant, the conversation must persist, as silence will only serve to legitimize what has been normalized by the dominant ideologies, practices, and groups. As gatekeepers of information, LIS practitioners are called upon to critically reflect and examine the structures, systems, and norms that shape knowledge production and access.