Journal Press India^®

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Purpose: The study aims to map the existing body of scholarly literature on the social inclusion of transgender individuals by identifying publication trends, influential authors, key journals, and recurring themes. It seeks to uncover research gaps and evolving patterns in global academic discourse related to transgender inclusion.

Design/Methodology/Approach: This review adopts a bibliometric analysis approach. Data was collected from scopus database using a defined set of keywords related to transgender inclusion and social integration. Tools such as VOSviewer and Biblioshiny (R Studio) were used to conduct co-authorship analysis, keyword co-occurrence mapping, and trend visualization. The study covers publications from 2001 to 2024.

Findings: The results reveal a steady growth in scholarly attention toward transgender inclusion, especially post-2015. A few countries dominate the research output, with limited contributions from the Global South. Key themes include healthcare access, legal rights, social discrimination, and education. Despite increasing visibility, intersectional analyses and empirical research on non-Western contexts remain underrepresented.

Research Limitations: The analysis is limited to publications indexed in the Scopus database, which may not capture all relevant research published in non-indexed or regional journals. This could result in a bias toward well-established, English-language academic sources, potentially overlooking important contributions from underrepresented regions or local scholarship published in non-English languages. As a result, the global picture of transgender social inclusion research may be incomplete, especially in terms of culturally specific perspectives, grassroots-level insights, or policy-relevant research produced outside mainstream publishing systems.

Practical Implications: The findings provide insights for policymakers, NGOs, and academic institutions to identify knowledge gaps and prioritize underexplored areas such as transgender inclusion in employment, housing, and rural contexts. It also aids libraries and research centers in building targeted resources.

Social Implications: By highlighting underrepresented voices and themes, this study contributes to a more inclusive academic agenda. It promotes the visibility of transgender issues in global scholarship and encourages informed interventions aimed at achieving gender equity and social justice.

Originality: This is one of the few studies that applies bibliometric performance analysis to transgender social inclusion literature. It offers a data-driven perspective to assess how effectively research output supports inclusion goals and guides future academic priorities.

Keywords

Transgender, Discrimination, Gender identity, Social inclusion, SDGs, Bibliometric analysis

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