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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 11, No. 9.2
Publication Date: September 25, 2024
DOI:10.14738/assrj.119.2.17407.
Zakaria, Z. N. Z., Awang, Y., Nasir, N. E. M., & Taib, A. (2024). Examining the Nexus Between Internships and Employability: A
Bibliometric Perspective. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(9.2). 120-134.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Examining the Nexus Between Internships and Employability: A
Bibliometric Perspective
Zaiza Norsuriati Zainal@Zakaria
Faculty of Accountancy, Universiti Teknologi MARA,
Cawangan Terengganu, Kampus Dungun, Terengganu, Malaysia
Yunita Awang
Faculty of Accountancy, Universiti Teknologi MARA,
Cawangan Terengganu, Kampus Dungun, Terengganu, Malaysia
Noor Emilina Mohd Nasir
Faculty of Accountancy, Universiti Teknologi MARA,
Cawangan Terengganu, Kampus Dungun, Terengganu, Malaysia
Azuraidah Taib
Faculty of Accountancy, Universiti Teknologi MARA,
Cawangan Terengganu, Kampus Dungun, Terengganu, Malaysia
ABSTRACT
Internship is one of the beneficial platforms for students’ engagement in the real- working experience. The internship allows the interns to explore the potential job
tasks expected in their field of interest. Interns can develop their employability or
job-readiness skills namely communication, teamwork and critical thinking. From
the employers’ perspective, the internship provides the potential cost saving in the
workflow, particularly when assistance from temporary staff is needed, gives access
to a new talent pool and facilitates the recruitment of prospective full-time
employees. The employability of fresh graduates promotes industrial growth,
sustainability, and economic development of the country. Internships may
influence employability as students’ employability skills are enhanced through
internships. For a better understanding of this issue, the current study examines
the evolution of research publications on the nexus between internship and
employability. Using bibliometric analysis of data from the Scopus database for a
period from 1975 to 2024, this study explores the trends in research publications
to determine document type, subject area, publication categories by authors and
countries, citation metrics and keywords. A total of 246 pertinent documents were
reviewed on 14 July 2024, and the data was evaluated using Microsoft Excel,
VOSviewer, and Harzing's Publish or Perish. This study provides some insights into
the trends and future development of the influence of internships on employability
topics in the academic literature of Business, Management, and Accounting;
Economic, Econometrics and Finance and Social Sciences. The findings of the study
may also be beneficial to the university management for curriculum-related
purposes, and to the employers for future recruitment planning.
Keywords: Employability, Internships, Bibliometric analysis, Scopus, VOS Viewer.
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Zakaria, Z. N. Z., Awang, Y., Nasir, N. E. M., & Taib, A. (2024). Examining the Nexus Between Internships and Employability: A Bibliometric
Perspective. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(9.2). 120-134.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.119.2.17407
INTRODUCTION
Internship is one of the beneficial platforms for students’ engagement in real-working
experience, which enables them to gain practical experience in their chosen field. The
internship provides opportunities for interns to develop their employability skills including
communication, teamwork and critical thinking. Similarly, internships make it easier for
employers to access a new talent pool and recruit potential full-time employees. It is also a cost- saving mechanism for employers in getting assistance from temporary employees, particularly
during peak business seasons. It is a common practice at universities to have their students
undergo internships during their final year of study. This will assist them to be better ready for
employability as the interns learn essential practical knowledge required in their field of
interest. Similarly, internships may influence employability as students’ employability skills are
enhanced through internships [1]. As academic graduates contribute significant skills,
knowledge, creativity, and productivity to the industry and the national economy, they have an
important role in advancing industrial progress, sustainability, and economic development [2].
In Malaysia, the recent unemployment rate of graduates was 3.7% in 2022 as compared to 4.1%
in 2021, while the number of unemployed graduates declined from 198,700 in 2021 to 187,800
in 2022 indicating a decrease of 5.5% [3]. However, unemployment is a concerning issue as it
represents one nation's below-utilization of energy. Unemployment is a major economic
concern in both emerging and developed countries and may significantly affect the country’s
ability to sustain its economy [4; 2]. Additionally, unemployment might lead to criminal activity
due to a lack of financial support; and a negative impact on mental health due to stress and
demands [4]. Concerning this issue, the current study examines the evolution of research
publications on the nexus between internship and employability. Specifically, this study
attempts to address the following research questions:
1. What are the main subject areas and source types in the publications on internships and
employability?
2. What is the current publication trend in internship and employability research?
3. What are the most influential articles on internships and employability studies?
4. Who are the most influential authors in publishing research on internships and
employability?
5. Which country publishes most productively on internships and employability research?
6. What are the most important keywords used by the authors of studies on internships
and employability?
In accomplishing the research objectives, using bibliometric analysis of data from the Scopus
database for a period from 1975 to 2024, this study explores the trends in research publications
to determine document type, subject area, publication categories by authors and countries,
citation metrics and keywords. A total of 246 pertinent documents were reviewed on 14 July
2024, and the data was evaluated using Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer, and Harzing's Publish or
Perish. This study is expected to give insights into the publication trends and future
development on the nexus between internship and employability, which may be beneficial to
the university management for curriculum-related purposes, and to the employers for future
recruitment planning.
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 11, Issue 9.2, September-2024
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
The next section covers the literature review followed by the research methodology of this
study. The discussion of research findings and conclusion with the identified limitations and
suggestions for future research are presented in the subsequent sections.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Bibliometric Analysis
Bibliometrics is the study of publication trends using quantitative and statistical analyses
[5]. As such, bibliometric techniques, which involve quantitative analysis of academic
publications and citations, are gaining popularity in a wide range of research fields [6]. It can
be descriptive, assessing how many publications have been written, or evaluative, examining
how these papers have influenced the subsequent study of others through citation analysis.
Bibliometric techniques are critical tools for academics in a range of domains to investigate
scholarly communication, assess research outcomes, and gain insights into the structure and
dynamics of scientific knowledge. A bibliometric analysis's key goals are typically to map and
visualise the literature using network analyses, measure the impact of the research using
metrics, and explore the research's productivity through publishing trends [7].
Combining bibliometric analysis results allows academics to make informed decisions
regarding future research orientations and objectives. Specifically, research gaps and emerging
challenges that demand further investigation can be identified. Thus, researchers can utilise
bibliometric analysis to stay up to date on research trends, compare their performance, and
contribute to the advancement of knowledge in their field of study. Bibliometric data can also
be used to help academic institutions and funding organisations in resource allocation with
priority funding and strategic research planning [8].
Internship and Employability
The internship is a type of experiential learning outside of the classroom that provides on-the- job training for various professions, which offers an excellent opportunity for university
students to get basic job knowledge and experience, thus enhancing their employability in a
competitive labour market [9]. The internship is a training program that provides practical
experience to undergraduate students to improve the application skills of the knowledge
gained in the curriculum [10]. Meanwhile, employability refers to having the skills and talents
to find a job, maintain employment, or get new employment as required [11].
Typically, the internship program was conducted for students in their final year at the
university. The interns can get exposure to real working experience in their related field.
Interns are given opportunities to perform tasks in a professional environment according to
their field of interest. Interns are closely monitored by the assigned supervisor throughout the
internship duration to ensure that they are on the right track in completing the given tasks.
University internships enhance students' employability by giving them job knowledge and
experience. [12] view that, academic readiness, optimistic attitude, and competent supervision
are among the factors that contribute to successful internship programs.
There are various studies on the nexus of internships and employability. Through the
internship, they gained work experience and at the same time developed their employability
skills. The interns are then better equipped to enter the job market. A study by [10] revealed
that internships significantly improve undergraduate engineering students' employability,