Digital transformation in local government: a hybrid bibliometric and systematic literature review

Abstract

This study aims to explore the intellectual context of research on digital transformation in local governments to integrate fragmented streams of research into a coherent body of knowledge. To this end, it analyzes the growth, conceptual development, research hotspots, knowledge base, research methods and future research directions. A bibliometric–systematic literature review was conducted. The bibliometric analysis involved 915 English-language, open-access journal articles indexed in Scopus that were published between 2010 and 2025, using Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. Thematic synthesis was conducted using 294 full-text studies following the PRISMA2020 guidelines to identify major themes, theories, methods, findings and research gaps. Recent years have seen this work progress from e-government and administrative digitization to an overarching smart governance and organizational transformation, touching upon public value, citizen participation, digital divide and big data. This review reveals that technological capabilities are not sufficient for digital transformation; leadership skills, institutional capacities, collaborative governance and organizational readiness are also important. Issues of digital divide, cybersecurity, ethical governance and implications of emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence, remain. This study takes a step forward in the review process by combining bibliometric mapping and thematic synthesis, bringing disconnected information together as a coherent representation of digital transformation from the perspective of governance and offering evidence-based insights into the priorities of future research, policy and digitally-enabled local government change.