BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES AND THE SHADOW ECONOMY SECTOR

Abstract

The aim of the study is to analyse scientific publications related to the topics of the shadow economy and renewable energy sources. One of the objectives is to identify the main research directions and topics that intersect between the shadow economy and energy issues, particularly renewable energy sources. The study utilizes several key methods for analysing the topics of the shadow economy and renewable energy sources. Bibliometric analysis is used to assess scientific productivity in the selected field based on data from Scopus and the Biblioshiny tool. The analysis of authors' keywords using thematic maps and treemaps allows for the visualization of major research directions and their evolution. Lotka's law is applied to analyse the productivity of authors. The number of scientific publications on the shadow economy and renewable energy sources has significantly increased since 2015. The highest peak of publications occurred in the period 2023–2024, which may be linked to the growing relevance of sustainable development and energy reforms. The analysis of author productivity based on Lotka's law showed that about 75% of authors publish only one paper, while only a small fraction of authors are highly productive, publishing more than two papers. A significant finding is the high level of international collaboration in the research, with more than a third (34.65%) of publications written in international co-authorship. Germany and Malaysia have the highest levels of international collaboration, while India and Cyprus predominantly publish single-country articles. The thematic keyword map shows that since 2023, the research topics continue to evolve, covering concepts such as "developing countries," "economic growth," and "energy consumption". The scientific novelty of the research lies in the integration of two important research areas – the shadow economy and renewable energy sources – which had previously been studied mainly separately. The practical significance of the research results is that they can be used to formulate effective policies and strategies in the field of sustainable development, particularly to combat the shadow economy and support the transition to renewable energy sources. The findings of the study have significant practical potential for application in policymaking, management strategies, and for international cooperation in addressing sustainable development challenges.