IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/scient/v126y2021i2d10.1007_s11192-020-03760-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Visualizing research trends and research theme evolution in E-learning field: 1999–2018

Author

Listed:
  • Yang Bai

    (Central China Normal University)

  • Hongxiu Li

    (Tampere University)

  • Yong Liu

    (Aalto University School of Business)

Abstract

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of major research themes and trends in e-learning research. A co-word analysis is applied for the analysis of the 21,656 keywords collected from 7214 articles published in 10 journals in the field of e-learning from the years 1999 to 2018. Specifically, a cluster analysis, social network analysis, strategic diagram, and graph theory were applied in the analysis for two time periods: 1999–2008 and 2009–2018. The study detects the bridging, popular, and core topics in e-learning research for the two periods. The research results indicate that e-learning research has undergone a health evolution over the past two decades. There is a temporal continuity of e-learning research because some research topics have kept their continuity over the studied 20 years. Meanwhile, the research traditions in the e-learning field are also continuously evolving with the development of new technologies. The results also offer useful hints on the future direction of how the field may evolve.

Suggested Citation

  • Yang Bai & Hongxiu Li & Yong Liu, 2021. "Visualizing research trends and research theme evolution in E-learning field: 1999–2018," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(2), pages 1389-1414, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:126:y:2021:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-020-03760-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-020-03760-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11192-020-03760-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11192-020-03760-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Loet Leydesdorff & Robert L. Goldstone, 2014. "Interdisciplinarity at the journal and specialty level: The changing knowledge bases of the journal cognitive science," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 65(1), pages 164-177, January.
    2. Anne Ellerup Nielsen & Christa Thomsen, 2011. "Sustainable development: the role of network communication," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(1), pages 1-10, January.
    3. Xiuwen Chen & Jianping Li & Xiaolei Sun & Dengsheng Wu, 2019. "Early identification of intellectual structure based on co-word analysis from research grants," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 121(1), pages 349-369, October.
    4. Seyed Mohammad Jafar Jalali & Han Woo Park, 2018. "State of the art in business analytics: themes and collaborations," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 627-633, March.
    5. Tahereh Dehdarirad & Anna Villarroya & Maite Barrios, 2014. "Research trends in gender differences in higher education and science: a co-word analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 101(1), pages 273-290, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Md Abu Helal & Nathaniel Anderson & Yu Wei & Matthew Thompson, 2023. "A Review of Biomass-to-Bioenergy Supply Chain Research Using Bibliometric Analysis and Visualization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-32, January.
    2. Zamani, Mehdi & Yalcin, Haydar & Naeini, Ali Bonyadi & Zeba, Gordana & Daim, Tugrul U, 2022. "Developing metrics for emerging technologies: identification and assessment," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    3. Yanjun Gao & Su Luan Wong & Mas Nida Md. Khambari & Nooreen bt Noordin & Jingxin Geng, 2022. "Sustaining E-Learning Studies in Higher Education: An Examination of Scientific Productions in Scopus between 2019 and 2021," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-20, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yanto Chandra, 2018. "Mapping the evolution of entrepreneurship as a field of research (1990–2013): A scientometric analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(1), pages 1-24, January.
    2. Thelwall, Mike & Bailey, Carol & Makita, Meiko & Sud, Pardeep & Madalli, Devika P., 2019. "Gender and research publishing in India: Uniformly high inequality?," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 118-131.
    3. Kretschmer, Hildrun & Beaver, Donald deB. & Ozel, Bulent & Kretschmer, Theo, 2015. "Who is collaborating with whom? Part II. Application of the methods to male and to female networks," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 9(2), pages 373-384.
    4. Yang, Siluo & Han, Ruizhen & Wolfram, Dietmar & Zhao, Yuehua, 2016. "Visualizing the intellectual structure of information science (2006–2015): Introducing author keyword coupling analysis," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 132-150.
    5. David Wittstruck & Frank Teuteberg, 2012. "Understanding the Success Factors of Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Empirical Evidence from the Electrics and Electronics Industry," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(3), pages 141-158, May.
    6. Yoon, Jeeyoung & Syafiandini, Arida Ferti & Song, Min, 2023. "Exploring the knowledge certainty shift: Metaknowledge analysis on drugs via assertion uncertainty burstiness," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2).
    7. Solomon, Gregg E.A. & Youtie, Jan & Carley, Stephen & Porter, Alan L., 2019. "What people learn about how people learn: An analysis of citation behavior and the multidisciplinary flow of knowledge," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(9), pages 1-1.
    8. Rosa Maria Arnaldo Valdés & Serhat Burmaoglu & Vincenzo Tucci & Luiz Manuel Braga da Costa Campos & Lucia Mattera & Víctor Fernando Gomez Comendador, 2019. "Flight Path 2050 and ACARE Goals for Maintaining and Extending Industrial Leadership in Aviation: A Map of the Aviation Technology Space," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-24, April.
    9. Hao Wang & Sanhong Deng & Xinning Su, 2016. "A study on construction and analysis of discipline knowledge structure of Chinese LIS based on CSSCI," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 109(3), pages 1725-1759, December.
    10. Jiancheng Guan & Lanxin Pang, 2018. "Bidirectional relationship between network position and knowledge creation in Scientometrics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 115(1), pages 201-222, April.
    11. Zongshui Wang & Hong Zhao & Yan Wang, 2015. "Social networks in marketing research 2001–2014: a co-word analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 105(1), pages 65-82, October.
    12. Haoye Sun & Thorsten Teichert, 2024. "Scarcity in today´s consumer markets: scoping the research landscape by author keywords," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 74(1), pages 93-120, February.
    13. Aliakbar Pourhatami & Mohammad Kaviyani-Charati & Bahareh Kargar & Hamed Baziyad & Maryam Kargar & Carlos Olmeda-Gómez, 2021. "Mapping the intellectual structure of the coronavirus field (2000–2020): a co-word analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(8), pages 6625-6657, August.
    14. Asif Siddiqui & Dora Marinova & Amzad Hossain, 2016. "Venture Capital Networks in Australia: Emerging Structure and Behavioural Implications," Journal of Management and Sustainability, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 6(2), pages 21-35, June.
    15. Daoyan Guo & Hong Chen & Ruyin Long & Hui Lu & Qianyi Long, 2017. "A Co-Word Analysis of Organizational Constraints for Maintaining Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-19, October.
    16. Monica Aureliana Petcu & Liliana Ionescu-Feleaga & Bogdan-Ștefan Ionescu & Dumitru-Florin Moise, 2023. "A Decade for the Mathematics : Bibliometric Analysis of Mathematical Modeling in Economics, Ecology, and Environment," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-30, January.
    17. Kim, Hyeyoung & Park, Hyelin & Song, Min, 2022. "Developing a topic-driven method for interdisciplinarity analysis," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 16(2).
    18. Wolfram, Dietmar & Zhao, Yuehua, 2014. "A comparison of journal similarity across six disciplines using citing discipline analysis," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 8(4), pages 840-853.
    19. Zhao, Yi & Liu, Lifan & Zhang, Chengzhi, 2022. "Is coronavirus-related research becoming more interdisciplinary? A perspective of co-occurrence analysis and diversity measure of scientific articles," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    20. Wenqing Wu & Kexin Yu & Chien-Chi Chu & Jie Zhou & Hong Xu & Sang-Bing Tsai, 2018. "Diffusion of Corporate Philanthropy in Social and Political Network Environments: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-17, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:126:y:2021:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-020-03760-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.