Written Corrective Feedback Scientometric Review (1987–2022)

Abstract

Written corrective feedback is widely used in language learning and teaching, and related studies have attracted significant attention in recent years. Through analysis and visualization of 497 articles indexed in the Web of Science core collection over the past 35 years using CiteSpace, this scientometric review aims to explore the developmental stages, involved disciplines, geospatial fingerprint, main research streams, and emerging research trends of written corrective feedback. The following stages were identified based on the timeline of publications and citations: the sprouting phase (1987–2005), the fluctuating phase (2006–2016), and the explosive phase (2017–2022). The interdisciplinary trend toward written corrective feedback becomes increasingly prominent throughout each stage, and its primary disciplines range from linguistics and cognitive science to psychology and computer science. The primary research contexts for written corrective feedback research are ESL and EFL; countries with multiple coexisting language variants have prioritized research in this field. Existing studies have witnessed a shift from quantitative to qualitative research, and case studies focusing on individual differences are emerging as a newer research frontier. As one of the first few scientometric reviews of written corrective feedback since the phrase first appeared as a combined index term, this study is significant as a reference for comprehensively understanding the intellectual background, dynamics, and evolution of this research field.