A Bibliometric Analysis of Digital Prompting Interventions in Education

Digital prompts are a widely used instructional method to support student learning. However, the diversity of research topics and the variety of ways in which prompts are designed and labeled result in terminological inconsistencies (e.g., jingle-jangle fallacies) and make it difficult to integrate similar research. Additionally, the rise of artificial intelligence has introduced new meanings to the term “prompt,” threatening the discoverability of research on digital prompting interventions. An updated analysis of recent records showed that in 2025, 19% of all publications using the term “prompt” referred to AI-related contexts. Therefore, this bibliometric analysis of 1,238 publications provides a systematic overview of how digital prompts are labeled and how well the research field is integrated. We identified 283 distinct prompt labels, either referring to the content of the prompt or its presentation format. Our findings highlight that a few prompt types such as metacognitive prompts, self-explanation prompts, and question prompts dominate the field, while the majority is used inconsistently or idiosyncratically. Network analyses revealed limited integration across the field, with metacognitive prompting emerging as a central research area. We provide concrete recommendations to improve the visibility and integration of this research field, including the use of standardized terminology in metadata, multi-level labeling practices, and engagement with conceptually similar prompting interventions.