Frontiers in microfinance research for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs): a bibliometric analysis

Abstract This article aims to present current research trends in microfinance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) institutions (MFIs), as plays an increasingly role entrepreneurship development poverty alleviation. The study uses a bibliometric analysis, this work, we performed citation, bibliographic coupling, keyword evolution analyses. results show that SMEs continue grow. authors found recent has evolved around eight thematic clusters, covering (1) access constraints on microcredit (2) economic empowerment, (3) sustainability of MFIs, (4) creditworthiness, technology infrastructure financing patterns, (5) Islamic financial inclusion, (6) credit assessment models microcredit, (7) innovative business models, (8) gender equity crowdfunding. Research gaps each the clusters are identified. Topics related COVID-19, social finance, institutions, scoring crowdfunding, entrepreneurial finance likely feature domain MFIs future.