Articles | Volume 16, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-16-1053-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-16-1053-2025
Review
 | 
22 Jul 2025
Review |  | 22 Jul 2025

The state of global catastrophic risk research: a bibliometric review

Florian Ulrich Jehn, John-Oliver Engler, Constantin W. Arnscheidt, Magdalena Wache, Ekaterina Ilin, Laura Cook, Lalitha S. Sundaram, Frederic Hanusch, and Luke Kemp

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Cited articles

Abraham, T.: The Chronicle of a Disease Foretold: Pandemic H1N1 and the Construction of a Global Health Security Threat, Political Studies, 59, 797–812, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9248.2011.00925.x, 2011. 
Acemoglu, D. and Lensman, T.: Regulating Transformative Technologies, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA, https://doi.org/10.3386/w31461, 2023. 
Ahvo, A., Heino, M., Sandström, V., Chrisendo, D., Jalava, M., and Kummu, M.: Agricultural input shocks affect crop yields more in the high-yielding areas of the world, Nat. Food, 4, 1037–1046, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00873-z, 2023. 
Aicardi, C., Fothergill, B. T., Rainey, S., Stahl, B. C., and Harris, E.: Accompanying technology development in the Human Brain Project: From foresight to ethics management, Futures, 102, 114–124, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2018.01.005, 2018. 
Aithal, P. S.: Super-Intelligent Machines – Analysis of Developmental Challenges and Predicted Negative Consequences, International Journal of Applied Engineering and Management, 109–141, https://doi.org/10.47992/ijaeml.2581.7000.0191, 2023. 
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This study presents the first systematic analysis of the global catastrophic risk and existential risk literature, examining 3437 documents from OpenAlex. Using bibliographic coupling, we identify and describe 10 research clusters aligned with major risks. The field shows geographic concentration in the US/UK, gender imbalance, and a small number of prolific authors. We recommend improving diversity, fostering cross-cluster collaboration, and building connections with adjacent disciplines.
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