Worldwide Overview and Country Differences in Metaverse Research: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

As a research topic integrating various subjects and technologies, Metaverse research has been a global concern in recent years. This study explores the hotspots and frontiers of academic research on the Metaverse based on a bibliometric analysis from 2012 to 2021. A keyword retrieval dataset related to Metaverse research was constructed based on expert consultation and manual reading of the literature, retrieving articles and conference papers from the Scopus database. Critical points in Metaverse research are represented in terms of research scale, keyword co-occurrence networks, keyword citation bursts, and international collaborative networks with the application of VOSviewer and CiteSpace’s bibliometric visualization software. The results indicate that Metaverse research is experiencing rapid growth, with countries/regions increasing their production at varying speeds. The results also indicate the three most prolific countries, the United States, China and Germany, for comparison, showing the leading topic as virtual reality in Metaverse research, and we find that there are differences in topic clustering and hotspot evolution among the three countries over the past decade. By determining the current research status and the overall development path of the Metaverse field, the paper intends to provide a reference for the future research development and technical application of the Metaverse.