Following the trail of crumbs: A bibliometric study on consumer behavior in the Food Science and Technology field

Márcia Gabriela Consiglio Kasemodel ,Fausto Makishi ,Roberta De Castro Souza ,Vivian Lara Dos Santos Silva

doi:10.7455/ijfs/5.1.2016.a7

Márcia Gabriela Consiglio Kasemodel , Fausto Makishi + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.7455/ijfs/5.1.2016.a7

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Abstract

The main goal of this paper was to conduct an exploratory study regarding consumer preference in the field of the Food Science and Technology. Two questions guided this study: Is it possible to identify a trail of crumbs concerning consumer behavior in the Food Science and Technology field? And, if that trail exists, where is it leading academia in terms of research trends of interest? A bibliometric study was conducted using an analysis software called CiteSpace. The use of this methodology ensured the impartiality of the literature review of the topic of interest. A survey of all articles indexed in Web of Science between 1993 and 2013 regarding consumer behaviour was carried out. In total, 1,786 articles were analyzed. The recent increased concern regarding consumer behavior was evident. With the USA and Spain having a significant role in driving the trail. Eight other countries that exhibited similar influences are: Italy, England, Australia, Germany, Denmark, France, Netherlands and Brazil. The research trends observed were grouped into seven major hot topics: sensory, health, safety, willingness to pay, packaging, ethics, and lifestyle/convenience. However, the development of publishing trends depended on where the research was carried out. A final suggestive finding, demonstrated that scientific knowledge does not occur in a vacuum.

Highlights

It seems difficult to track the direction of scientific knowledge in any given area
The main goal was to contribute to this debate by using a systematic analysis of publications in the area of Food Science and Technology, through the consideration of journals indexed in the Web of Science database during the past 20 years (1993-2013)
The third step consisted of identification of the existence of trends and patterns concerning the interest of the Food Science and Technology field in consumer behavior

Summary

Introduction

It seems difficult to track the direction of scientific knowledge in any given area. This difficulty arises from the unpredictable nature of the development of scientific knowledge, built as it is from models, theories, and accumulated experiences that intertwine and create solutions for a wide variety of challenges. The authors’ insights are based on personal impressions and experiences (Bruin & Jongen, 2003), as well as on a bibliographic review, referring to papers published in scientific conferences in the field (Aguilera, 2006). With this in mind, the main goal was to contribute to this debate by using a systematic analysis (using the methodology of bibliometric study) of publications in the area of Food Science and Technology, through the consideration of journals indexed in the Web of Science database during the past 20 years (1993-2013).

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Conclusion