Blockchain-Enabled Secure and Transparent Scholarly Communication in Sustainable Digital Libraries:A Systematic Literature Review
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The rapid growth of digital libraries has intensified concerns regarding security, transparency, and trust in scholarly communication. Blockchain technology has emerged as a promising solution to address these challenges by enabling decentralized, immutable, and verifiable information management. This study aims to systematically review and synthesize existing research on blockchain-enabled secure and transparent scholarly communication within the context of sustainable digital libraries. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Data were collected from three major academic databases, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, and ACM Digital Library, resulting in a final set of 55 relevant articles published between 2015 and 2025. The review analyzes publication trends, research themes, technological approaches, and reported benefits and limitations of blockchain adoption in digital library ecosystems. The findings indicate that blockchain is predominantly applied to enhance data integrity, peer-review transparency, copyright management, and long-term preservation, while also supporting sustainability through reduced reliance on centralized infrastructures. However, challenges related to scalability, interoperability, energy consumption, and regulatory compliance remain significant barriers to implementation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current research directions and identifies critical gaps for future studies, offering valuable insights for researchers, librarians, and policymakers seeking to develop secure and sustainable digital library systems.
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