This study maps Heinz von Foerster's intellectual legacy through bibliometric analysis. Whether von Foerster's influence forms an integrated program or fragmented streams has not been tested.
A bibliometric analysis of 252 Scopus-indexed articles (1981–2025) was conducted using the Bibliometrix R package (Biblioshiny) and VOSviewer, integrating co-authorship, keyword co-occurrence, co-citation and thematic evolution analyses.
Fourteen collaborative clusters emerge, each developing distinct aspects of von Foerster's legacy. Three novel insights emerge: (1) von Foerster's legacy is structurally fragmented with minimal cross-citation, (2) he functions as a boundary object appropriated by diverse communities and (3) a temporal shift from epistemology (1981–2005) to application (2022–2025) confirms his aspiration for a useful science while deepening fragmentation.
Reliance on a single database (Scopus), exclusion of non-English publications and temporal coverage from 1981 onwards. Future research should expand the data sources and conduct qualitative cluster analyses.
This first bibliometric mapping of von Foerster's legacy offers a data-driven corrective to narrative accounts presenting second-order cybernetics as coherent. Revealing structural fragmentation, boundary object dynamics and epistemological-to-applied shifts opens new agendas for managing fragmentation to enrich the field's diversity without sacrificing intellectual coherence.
