The Ascent of the Ageing Society: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Age-Friendly Concept

Abstract

Population ageing has become a defining global demographic trend, increasing the visibility of concepts such as age-friendly environments across social policy, public health, and urban studies. Age-friendly approaches aim to promote participation, inclusion, accessibility, and well-being by addressing environmental and institutional barriers that limit older adults’ engagement in society. This study examines the scholarly landscape on “age-friendly” research through a bibliometric analysis of publications indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database. The analysis covers the period 1996–2024 and investigates publication trends, subject categories, authors, institutions, countries, citations, and keyword networks. Standard bibliometric indicators and visualisation techniques were applied to map the structure and development of the field. The findings reveal a substantial increase in academic interest, particularly after 2010, with research concentrated in geriatrics, public health, the social sciences, and urban studies. Keyword clustering reveals a shift from conceptual discussions (e.g., active aging, healthy aging) toward more applied and policy-driven themes (e.g., age-friendly cities, aging in place). Influential authors and institutions are predominantly located in countries with advanced ageing populations. Overall, the study demonstrates the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of age-friendly research, while emphasizing the need to interpret WoS-based results cautiously due to its limited coverage of books, book chapters, and certain social science journals.

Keywords

• Ageing
• Ageing population
• Age-friendly
• Age-friendly city
• Bibliometric analysis

Yaşlanan Toplumun Yükselişi: Yaş Dostu Kavramının Bibliyometrik Analizi

Abstract

Dünya genelinde yaşlı nüfusun artması, özellikle sosyal politika, halk sağlığı ve kentsel çalışmalar alanlarında yaş dostu kavramının giderek daha fazla önem kazanmasına yol açmaktadır. Yaş dostu yaklaşımlar, yaşlı bireylerin katılımını, kapsayıcılığını, erişilebilirliğini ve iyi oluşunu desteklemek amacıyla çevresel ve kurumsal engelleri azaltmayı hedeflemektedir. Bu çalışma, Web of Science (WoS) veri tabanında “yaş dostu” kavramına ilişkin yayımlanan çalışmaları 1996–2024 dönemi için bibliyometrik yöntemlerle incelemektedir. Yayın eğilimleri, konu kategorileri, yazarlar, kurumlar, ülkeler, atıf örüntüleri ve anahtar kelime ağları analiz edilmiştir. Alanın yapısını ve gelişim yönelimlerini belirlemek için standart bibliyometrik göstergeler ve görselleştirme teknikleri kullanılmıştır. Bulgular, özellikle 2010 sonrasında konuya yönelik akademik ilginin belirgin şekilde arttığını göstermektedir. Anahtar kelime kümeleri, kavramsal tartışmalardan (aktif yaşlanma, sağlıklı yaşlanma) uygulamalı ve politika odaklı temalara (yaş dostu şehirler, yerinde yaşlanma) geçiş olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Etki yaratan çalışmaların büyük bölümü yaşlı nüfus oranı yüksek ülkelerden gelmektedir. Çalışma, yaş dostu literatürünün disiplinlerarası niteliğini vurgulamakla birlikte, WoS kapsamının sınırlılıkları nedeniyle bulguların dikkatle yorumlanması gerektiğini belirtmektedir.

Keywords

• Yaşlanma
• Yaşlanan nüfus
• Yaş dostu
• Yaş dostu şehir
• Bibliyometrik analiz

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