Mapping the landscape of disability in social work research: A bibliometric analysis

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of disability and social work research from 2000 to 2025. Using the keywords disab* and “social work,” 211 peer-reviewed English articles were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and analyzed using VOS viewer. Co-authorship, co-citation, bibliographic coupling, and keyword co-occurrence were used to analyze collaboration patterns, intellectual structure, and thematic trends. Findings show steady publication growth, influential authors and institutions in Anglo-Saxon countries, and a shift toward rights-based approaches emphasizing empowerment, inclusion, and accessibility. This study recommends expanding Global South participation, strengthening international collaboration, and promoting more inclusive and intersectional disability research in social work.