Mapping the intellectual landscape of assessment literacy in academic writing: A bibliometric review of Scopus publications (1997–2025)

Abstract

Bibliometric studies have become an important approach for understanding the development and structure of research fields; however, global investigations focusing specifically on assessment literacy in academic writing remain limited. This study aims to map publication trends, collaboration patterns, influential sources, and thematic structures in research on assessment literacy related to academic writing through a bibliometric analysis. Data were retrieved from the Scopus database using the search query TITLE-ABS-KEY (“assessment literacy” AND “academic writing”), covering publications from 1997 to 2025 without restrictions on document type or discipline. A total of 176 documents were analysed using VOSviewer and Microsoft Excel to examine annual publication growth, source journals, subject areas, countries, institutions, author collaboration networks, and keyword co-occurrence patterns. The findings reveal a significant increase in publications after 2011, indicating a paradigm shift from summative assessment toward formative, reflective, and feedback-oriented approaches in academic writing. Research output is dominated by institutions and authors from the United Kingdom, the United States, and China, with Assessing Writing and Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education emerging as key publication venues. Keyword analysis identifies four dominant thematic clusters: formative feedback and peer assessment, academic writing pedagogy and literacy development, assessment tools and rubrics, and issues of identity, equity, and institutional power. In contrast, themes related to digital literacy, automated feedback, and AI-based assessment remain weakly represented, indicating important research gaps. This study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive global overview of assessment literacy research in academic writing and highlighting emerging directions for future studies. The findings offer strategic insights for researchers, educators, and policymakers in developing contextualized, technology-responsive assessment models aligned with the demands of 21st-century higher education.