Semantic interoperability in electronic government: a bibliometric analysis and systematic review

Semantic interoperability (SI) in government remains elusive and challenging. This study, therefore, investigated what research has been conducted about SI in the government context using a bibliometric review, and an analysis of the top 20 influential and 20 most recent publications. The results show a shift from proposing technical to conceptual models, despite the importance of the technical models to SI. SI research has also evolved over the years to represent different government domain knowledge formally and is influenced more by linked data and open data. The key findings reveal a scarcity of research that leverages the intersection of semantic technologies with artificial intelligence models. SI research in government is also strongly influenced by government funding and therefore stalls when government priorities change. The funding variability might also be an indication of limited academic interest, especially in resource-constrained countries, but also indicates greater consulting opportunities. A research agenda for future research is proposed.