Abstract
This study presents a bibliometric analysis of scholarly discourse on Australia’s international development aid efforts in the Pacific. Using HistCite and VOSviewer to examine 150 Web of Science articles, our study demonstrates a multifaceted, cross-disciplinary field spanning policy-oriented and health-focused journals as well as several aid-relevant broader development issues in the literature. Findings reveal the dominance of Australian universities in producing knowledge about Australia’s aid in the Pacific. We argue that knowledge production in the Pacific remains colonised, shaped by power dynamics that exist within the Pacific region. The findings suggest that Pacific-based academics should take the driver’s seat in aid research to promote more balanced and locally informed discussions on Australia's aid. This paper offers the most comprehensive bibliometric analysis to date of Pacific scholarship on Australian aid. It also exposes the systemic contradictions between Australia’s dominant aid discourse, localising research and gathering perspectives from Pacific scholars.