A bibliometric analysis of the realities of Australian international development aid efforts in the Pacific region
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Mark Opoku Amankwa: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3271-7538
Kwadwo Adusei-Asante: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1343-8234
Portia Nana Ama Brempong: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3460-0859
Abstract
This study presents a bibliometric analysis of scholarly discourse on Australia’s international development aid efforts in the Pacific. Using HistCite and VOSviewer to examine 150 Web of Science articles, our study demonstrates a multifaceted, cross-disciplinary field spanning policy-oriented and health-focused journals as well as several aid-relevant broader development issues in the literature. Findings reveal the dominance of Australian universities in producing knowledge about Australia’s aid in the Pacific. We argue that knowledge production in the Pacific remains colonised, shaped by power dynamics that exist within the Pacific region. The findings suggest that Pacific-based academics should take the driver’s seat in aid research to promote more balanced and locally informed discussions on Australia's aid. This paper offers the most comprehensive bibliometric analysis to date of Pacific scholarship on Australian aid. It also exposes the systemic contradictions between Australia’s dominant aid discourse, localising research and gathering perspectives from Pacific scholars.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Publication Title
Australian Journal of Political Science
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Arts and Humanities
Copyright
subscription content
Comments
Amankwa, M. O., Adusei-Asante, K., Brempong, P. N. A., Ofori, J. A., & Mutaru, A. (2026). A bibliometric analysis of the realities of Australian international development aid efforts in the Pacific region. Australian Journal of Political Science. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10361146.2026.2613447