Retrospective Analysis of Mutual Funds Research: A Bibliometric Review

Abstract

This study aims to present a comprehensive examination of key features of the literature on mutual funds and their conceptual advancements via the use of trending bibliometric analysis. Using the Scopus database, the study identified 525 academic papers relating to Mutual Funds during a 33-year period from 1991 to 2024. This indicates that these domains have a substantial volume of research published in scholarly literature. An analysis is conducted of the authors, publications, thematic groupings, distribution of key terms, country of publishing, trends, and the frequency of reference, to understand the Mutual Funds research domain systematically. This review paper illustrates the fact-based insight into emerging issues in the mutual funds’ industry within the available information base. The assessment also clearly names three research areas: market timing, risk assessment, and mutual fund performance. The study encourages academics, practitioners, and researchers to go further into the field to have a better understanding of the patterns and their empirical exploration.