Transaction Cost Economics is one of the most critical theories for business studies, including Franchise research. Knowing this stream of research well can help researchers to ground and sustain their studies on a more solid theoretical foundation. Through a Scientometric literature review via the Search-AppraisaL-Synthesis-Analysis (SALSA) procedures, this paper proposes, investigates and demonstrates the knowledge heterogenization (i.e., the knowledge structure becoming heterogeneous) of literature in the social science domain. Focused on the Transaction Cost Economics application in Franchising research that intersects Economics and Business areas, knowledge heterogenization is found and demonstrated in the following aspects of research stream development: research topics, targeted outlets, empirical (geographical) contexts, analytic approaches, as well as important scholars and publications. However, we did not find heterogenization in terms of the adoption of cross-sectional versus longitudinal research design and quantitative versus qualitative data sources. Implications for the continuous practices and theory development of this research stream are discussed. Mainly, we argue that knowledge heterogenization is an approach for a scientific community to achieve developmental sustainability.

中文翻译：

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交易成本经济学的特许文献知识异质化

交易成本经济学是包括特许经营研究在内的商业研究最重要的理论之一。充分了解这些研究流可以帮助研究人员在更坚实的理论基础上扎根并维持他们的研究。通过通过搜索评价综合分析（SALSA）程序进行的科学计量文献综述，本文提出，研究和证明了社会科学领域文学的知识异质化（即知识结构变得异质）。专注于与经济学和商业领域相交的特许经营研究中的交易成本经济学的应用，发现知识异质性并在研究流开发的以下几个方面得到证明：研究主题，目标市场，经验（地理）环境，分析方法以及重要的学者和出版物。但是，我们在采用横断面研究与纵向研究设计以及定量数据与定性数据源方面均未发现异质性。讨论了该研究流的持续实践和理论发展的意义。主要是，我们认为知识异质化是科学界实现发展可持续性的一种方法。