Understanding the International Baccalaureate as an emerging field of research: a systematic literature review using bibliographic coupling

The academic literature pertaining to the discipline of international education acknowledges that the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme is expanding globally. Given the growing influence of the IB on international schooling, our study seeks to map the field of IB research drawing on a systematic review of 295 documents published from January 1967 through August 2018. Specifically, we conducted a bibliographic coupling analysis on the identified sample of IB-related literature. The results allowed us to unveil the most influential articles, academic outlets, and scholars along with some rankings, networks of collaborators, and bundles of contributions to the specialised literature. Our review uncovered three main research clusters that have formed in the IB field, including "growing the IB brand", "student success for the IB", and "the international identity of the IB". This bibliographic analysis is important for both offering insight into the intellectual structure of the field and assisting with the identification of new research directions within the IB domain that warrant further scholarly consideration.