3.1.1. Search Strategy

This study used Google Scholar as a database, as it is more open and inclusive compared to other platforms, such as WoS and Scopus. This database was also found to be used by other smart city scholars, such as [76–78]. Through the platform of Google Scholar, the authors were able to refer to articles and other research sources, such as conference proceedings, theses, books, book chapters, reports, and qualified working papers.

The comprehensive search strings developed by the authors were the keywords and their analogous concepts included "smart city(ies)," "citizen-centric," "citizen centricity," "people-centered (centred)," "citizen participation," and "citizenship responsibility(ies)." Unlike [75], the search strings were applied individually without using "OR" as a one-off search. The authors found that too many results were generated under an individual search. Therefore, repeated individual searches were more organized regarding converting the results to a master spreadsheet for data synthesis and analysis.
