A bibliometric analysis of research focuses on English translations of The Analects of Confucius sourced from CNKI (1996–2022)

A large body of research literature in China has been concerned with English Translation of The Analects of Confucius, but few have systematically reviewed the published articles to identify current research focuses and gaps. To address this need, the study applies a bibliometric analysis of 392 research articles from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), critically examining the existing research to reveal research trends and methodological challenges. The study conducts an integrated approach of tiered keyword network analysis differing high-quality Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index (CSSCI)-indexed articles from general publications and a subsequent hierarchical clustering for more precise research clusters. Synthesizing the results, it finally identifies three major research thematic areas: translation studies of specific translators, studies of core Confucian concepts as well as ideological studies, which reflects a trend of development from language transformation to a broader discussion of culture, ideology, and philosophy. Based on these findings, the study suggests an underdeveloped area of the integration of emerging theoretical frameworks and technical innovations into translation studies. By locating Chinese scholarship within a global context, this study offers methodological insights and guidance for future research on cross-linguistic studies concerning The Analects of Confucius.