Livestreaming as the next frontier of e-commerce: A bibliometric analysis and future research agenda

Abstract

The prominence of livestreaming within the business sector has been on the rise, yielding a transformative impact on the retailing and service landscape. Livestreaming has evolved into an ever-interactive platform tailored for commerce purposes. This study systematically monitors the research dynamics revolving livestreaming by delineating the progression and diffusion of key topics, influential authors, and notable publications. Utilizing the Scopus and Web of Science databases, this study applied bibliometric techniques to extract insights concerning livestreaming research through (1) identifying countries, journals, authors, and publications making exceptional contributions, (2) examining co-citations and co-occurrence networks, (3) extracting prevalent keywords from previous studies, and (4) discerning thematic trends. The study identifies noteworthy gaps in the existing livestreaming literature, encompassing areas such as cross-cultural studies, differentiation of products across various livestreaming platforms, post-adoption behavior, dark sides of livestreaming, and issues related to intellectual property. Subsequently, the study puts forth a cohesive future research agenda addressing these identified gaps.