From Niches to the Mainstream: A Computational Review and Research Agenda for Policy Innovation

Innovation in public policy is a rapidly expanding field, highlighting its critical role in addressing complex societal challenges. This bibliometric review (n = 17,264) synthesizes over 50 years of scholarship, systematically identifying key gaps, including conceptual fragmentation, limited theoretical engagement, methodological conservatism, and geographic and sectoral imbalance, and underutilization of the comparative perspective. These challenges constrain the field’s ability to address pressing global issues such as climate change adaptation, digital transformation, economic inequality, and the energy transition. This study proposes a comprehensive research agenda to bridge these gaps and move the field from niches toward more inclusive, integrative, and rigorous mainstream scholarship.