Research trends of ChatGPT in higher education: A bibliometric analysis

Introduction

Generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) has changed the landscape of teaching and learning processes. Gen AI can support impactful learning through its thoughtful integration into modern education (Manolchev et al. 2024) [13] . Chat GPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a type of Gen A1 developed by open AI that can generate human-like responses to user prompts (Welskop, 2023) [19] for transforming human education systems and pedagogical approaches (Aithal and Aithal, 2023) [1] .Chat GPT provides human-computer interaction (Dempere et al., 2023) [8] and thereby enhances personalized learning, rapid access to information, supports research activity and creativity ( [7,11,12] .Chat GPT has enhanced broader global access to educational resources (Rawas, 2024; Aithal & Aithal, 2023) [16] , language support for non-native English speakers, and proper feedback mechanisms that enhance academic work (Costa et al. 2024, Bukar et al. 2024) [5] . Despite the benefits of Chat GPT, skepticism has also been noted among many educators regarding its reliability and pedagogical value (Schönberger, 2023; Blahopoulou and Ortiz Bonnin, 2025) [3,17] . Gender-specific perceptual differences have also been noted; male learners have reported greater satisfaction in the use of Chat GPT for information searching, whereas female students have shown more usefulness in terms of homework and theoretical orientation (Fadillah and Akbar, 2025) [9] . Although Chat GPT has several benefits for learners, findings also show numerous concerns, such as potential biases, misinformation, reliability concerns, plagiarism (Zeb et [5] . Hence, researchers have emphasized the ethical and effective use of Chat GPT in higher education, for which capacity building of students and teachers should be undertaken to ensure innovative practices (Phutela et al. 2024; Yilmaz and Yüceol, 2015) [15] .The responsible use of www.extensionjournal.com Chat GPT in academic institutions requires proper guidelines, clear policies (Hasanein and Sobain 2023; Perera and Lankathilaka, 2023) [10,14] , authentic assessment, equitable technology access (Shabbir et al. 2024) [18] , transparent disclosure, and sociotechnical discussion for inclusive use (Costa et al, 2024; Buragohain and Chaudhary, 2025) [4] among disadvantaged student groups (Info et al., 2023) [11] . The opportunity of Chat GPT in higher education and potential challenges pave the way for conceptual discussions and the study of research trends in this important research area. The bibliometric analysis provides a quantitative mapping of the knowledge structure of this research on 'Chat GPT in higher education' in terms of global research trends, publication patterns, and its growth, leading institutions and authors, collaboration networks, and emerging research themes.

Materials and Methods

For this bibliometric analysis, the metadata was generated from the LENS (Lens.org). The LENS is open-source software with a rich source of scholarly works published as journal articles, books, book chapters, scientific proceedings, etc. The search code in lens was "ChatGPT in higher education" for the period of 2020-01-01 to 2025-12-31. A total of 314 articles were retrieved. English-language publications were recorded, and duplicate publications were discarded to ensure data consistency. The metadata included journal articles, books, book chapters, conference proceedings, dissertations, reports, and pre-prints. Descriptive bibliometric indicators incorporated publications over time and their types, top institution logo grids, most active countries/regions, most active authors, top fields of study, and top author journals.

Results

The Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) based large language Model (LLM) was come in force during twenties of this decade and release of Chat GPT-3.5 at the end of 2022 creates milestone. After the thorough use of Chat GPT in higher education prompted researchers to conduct research in this emerging domain. It was noted from the analysis of publications noted from 2023 and the maximum was during 2024 in this 'Chat GPT in higher education' research; however, in 2025, publication showed slight stabilization, suggesting a sustained research moment rather than a short-term trend (Fig 1).The distribution of articles on 'Chat GPT in higher education' shows the supremacy of journal articles (273), representing that the theme has quickly increased scholarly consideration and it is being verified through peer-reviewed experimental and academic studies. The presence of conference proceedings (29) and preprints (27) proposes a developing and fast-evolving research field in which findings are being distributed. Overall, the results highlight that studies on 'Chat GPT in higher education' are in an active growth phase, with an increasing need for systematic reviews (Table 1). Largely, the distribution of publications depicts that while a few authors show their major contribution in this field, i.e. research on 'ChatGPT in higher education', however it become collective and globally import research domain. The analysis of source titles of the journals in which documents are published reveals that The American Journal of Distance Education has the highest number of publications ( 13), followed by Zenodo (11), which implies a strong scholarly interest in the integration of ChatGPT in higher education. Heliyon, Education and Information Technologies and scientific reports underwritten a reasonable number of studies publication (7-8). The distribution of publications in different journals indicates that research on "ChatGPT in higher education" is gradually maturing in terms of distance learning, educational technology, and digital pedagogy (Fig 6).

Discussion

Researches on 'Chat GPT in higher education' is in sustainable growth phase and dynamic rather than a temporal surge. Scholars from different domains show their interest in this area. Within this limit period it received huge attention from academia. The presence of maximum number of journal article followed by books, conference proceedings depicts that area received credibility, curriculum interest and wide discussion among scientific community. The global distribution of publication, particularly in Asia and developed countries, leads that certain countries and region are ahead of others in this research domain may be due to more adoption of Gen AI within the academician. Institutional and authorship patterns further confirm that no single entity dominates the field, reinforcing its collaborative and emerging nature. Furthermore, the multidisciplinary researches likely computer science, psychology, and social sciences underscores the broad implications of Chat GPT in education, including cognitive, pedagogical, ethical, and policy dimensions. Overall, the discussion recommends a prerequisite for more methodical, interdisciplinary, and regionally inclusive research to well understand and harness Chat GPT's role in higher education.

Conclusions

Generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI), especially Chat GPT-based, has revolutionized higher education in terms of its huge adoption by scholars and academicians. Accordingly, numerous studies have been conducted in this area over the last few years, such as personalized learning, assessment, and ethical aspects. A bibliometric analysis reveals that journal articles are the major publication, followed by book chapters. The MEE university, Turkey; Srinivas University, India; University of Jordan are the prolific institutions. However, regarding regions, it is noted China, Indonesia, the United States, India and Australia are the emerging nations. The top fields of study include psychology, computer science, political science, and mathematics. The American Journal of Distance Education and ZDM-Mathematics Education are the most frequently opted journals for scholars. Regardless of the growing body of knowledge in the literature on Chat GPT in higher education, researchers have noted gaps in research on supporting disadvantaged learners and addressing digital disparities. Concerns also pointed out on ethical use, academic reliability, and data privacy. In conclusion, Chat GPT can enable changes in higher education; however, its pragmatic effectiveness resonates with ethical deliberations, vigilant planning, and policy backstopping. Hence, future research should focus on assessing the long-term impact of inclusive submissions and framing a robust agenda for responsible AI adoption in higher education.

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