Instructional Design and Technology Through the Years: A Bibliometric Analysis of Educational Technology Research and Development (ETRandD) Journal

From flickering films to microlearning in 4K, the field known as Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) today has a long history, marked by constant evolution since the 1920s. The field has been thrust into the spotlight by the COVID-19 pandemic. This bibliometric analysis examines research articles from the Educational Technology Research and Development (ETRandD) journal spanning 1957 to 2023. The study addresses the challenges posed by the influx of new IDT professionals from diverse backgrounds, as well as the opportunity presented by the occasion of the centennial celebration of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), the key professional organization in the field. Data for this study was primarily obtained from the Web of Science, supplemented by SCOPUS and Dimensions. The analysis utilized Biblioshiny to evaluate the journal's performance and impact, identifying influential works and authors. Additionally, VOSviewer was employed to map the scientific landscape, tracing the evolution of research themes and the collaborative networks among authors, institutions, and countries. While the analysis navigates through the limitations inherent in focusing on a single journal, majorly employing a specific dataset, and adhering to an English-only corpus, it successfully illuminates the core tendencies and transformative shifts within IDT. The findings emphasize the field's enduring commitment to leveraging technological advancements within a theoretically grounded framework to enhance learning outcomes. As the field continues to evolve in response to new entrants from diverse backgrounds, emerging technologies and shifting learners' contexts, this study provides a useful reference point for future research.