Knowledge Evolution and Paradigm Shift in Research on Trade Sanctions Against Russia: A Bibliometric Analysis (2014-2024)

Shengfu Lin

Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, Russia

Abstract

Economic sanctions against Russia have intensified dramatically following the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict, transforming academic research from sporadic exploration to explosive growth. However, the epistemological evolution of sanctions research remains inadequately systematized. This study develops a dual-layered analytical framework combining Kuhnian paradigm theory and Bourdieusian field theory to examine knowledge transformation in sanctions scholarship. We hypothesize that sanctions research exhibits crisis-driven paradigm shifts, with geopolitical events triggering fundamental changes in research focus and methodology. Drawing on 368 publications from Web of Science (2014-2024), we employ VOSviewer for knowledge mapping and network analysis. Results reveal three distinct evolutionary phases comprising an incipient period (2014-2018), a developmental phase (2019-2021), and an explosive growth period (2022-2024), with publication volume surging 85% in 2022. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identifies six principal research clusters encompassing energy security, geopolitical governance, trade implications, sanctions mechanisms, food security, and energy transition. Notably, "energy transition" and "geopolitical risk" evolved from peripheral to central themes. The knowledge landscape exhibits pronounced geopolitical stratification. American scholars dominate sanctions efficacy discourse, Russian scholars focus on defensive frameworks, European scholars emphasize spillover effects, while Chinese scholars provide third-party perspectives. This "epistemological nationalism" reveals the nexus between knowledge production and geopolitical positioning. Our dual-layered framework provides novel analytical perspectives for understanding evolutionary patterns in sanctions scholarship, guiding scholars to navigate research frontiers and facilitate international academic discourse.

Keywords

sanctions against Russia; bibliometrics; knowledge evolution; paradigm shift; geopolitical economy

JEL classification

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About Authors

Shengfu Lin

Post-Graduate Student, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, Russia (620002, Yekaterinburg, Mira street, 19); ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5192-6782 e-mail: 1249821454@qq.com

For citation

Lin, S. (2026). Knowledge Evolution and Paradigm Shift in Research on Trade Sanctions Against Russia: A Bibliometric Analysis (2014-2024). Journal of Applied Economic Research, Vol. 25, No. 1, 318-347. https://doi.org/10.15826/vestnik.2026.25.1.011

Article info

Received November 4, 2025; Revised November 29, 2025; Accepted December 4, 2025.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15826/vestnik.2026.25.1.011

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