The purpose of this paper is to describe the methodologies of researching literature in leadership studies.
Objectives are achieved through a series of research techniques, including bibliometrics (citation and co‐citation research), social networking, mapping and cross‐referencing. The most influential authors, journals and articles in leadership studies were identified from 1997‐2006.
Certain authors provide the core theories of leadership studies, and very few authors in the field are co‐cited in other articles.
Future research should not be limited to the Leadership Quarterly and Educational Learning journals used for this study.
Practical outcomes include greater understanding, nurturing and training of leadership talent in organizations.
The paper outlines a coherent research methodology for literature review in a given field of study, while also providing a helpful bibliography of influential work in leadership studies.
