Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of an Emerging Topic: A Mixed Method Approach on Sustainable Development Goals Discourse

An unprecedented growth in academic publication has led to a deluge of information also the challenge of absorbing the knowledge desired. Our focus is on quantitative and qualitative methods that explore the evolutionary pattern of an emerging discussion in academic discourse. As a case study, we use the United Nations 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);a topic that gained momentum in academic discourse as well as business and management literature. We argue that both quantitative and qualitative approaches should be utilized when reviewing literature on emerging, complex and multidisciplinary topics, such as the SDGs. To obtain an accurate, holistic perspective on development and challenges surrounding this topic, a mixed-method literature review approach identified significant discussion clusters. While applying each methodological approach separately and clustering the topical areas, we made an effort to combine the results of both quantitative and qualitative literature review assessments to observe the overlaps and differences.