Diffusion and integration of circular economy into mainstream disciplinary discourse

Purpose
This study aims to assess the diffusion and integration of Circular Economy (CE) knowledge across academic disciplines, by examining how CE concepts spread within mainstream academic and disciplinary discourses.

Design/Methodology/Approach
CE is conceptualized as a knowledge object, distinguishing between mainstream academic discourse (MAD) and mainstream disciplinary discourse (MDD). The research combines a dataset of CE-related articles from OpenAlex with Scimago’s indexed journals list, employing bibliometric mapping and topic analysis to chart the spread of CE knowledge. Integration is evaluated using a qualitative analysis of selected disciplinary articles, applying a four-stage typology: rhetorical uptake, instrumental uptake, selective translation, and conceptual integration.

Findings
Results indicate that the MAD of CE is largely interdisciplinary and concentrated, with 20 journals accounting for nearly half of the 8,582 CE articles. CE first appeared in MDD in 2008 within Medicine, reaching all academic fields by 2024. Certain MDDs predominantly publish CE-related papers in interdisciplinary journals. Nineteen topic clusters were identified and mapped across 23 academic areas. The exploratory analysis reveals that disciplines primarily engage with CE in rhetorical or instrumental terms, utilizing it as a managerial tool or symbolic reference. There are limited instances of selective translation and no evidence of full conceptual integration.

Research Limitations
The study is based on bibliographic metadata, with conclusions restricted to articles within MAD and MDD and to the exploratory disciplinary sample analyzed qualitatively.

Practical Implications
The findings provide new perspectives on the challenges disruptive concepts like CE face in penetrating and transforming disciplinary knowledge, informing both CE scholarship and broader science mapping methodologies.

Originality/Value
This research introduces a novel framework for evaluating how interdisciplinary concepts are recontextualized within disciplinary boundaries, offering valuable insights into the integration of CE and advancing approaches in science mapping.