SciMAT Software Research Articles

A Review of the Conceptual Structure and Evolution of Digital Leadership Research in Education

With the advent of digital technologies that have rapidly changed the functioning of societies, digital leadership has also become a novel imperative for the effective functioning of organizations. As the backbone of societal development, educational institutions have not been exempt from the influence of these new trends, which has ignited a growing research interest in the digital leadership roles of school administrators. This study aims to map the conceptual and thematic evolution of this research on digital leadership in the education field to offer a better insight into the strategic themes that are sufficiently or insufficiently addressed; that is, to identify aspects that are clearly defined or left shrouded in shadow. This study employed science mapping methodology and used SciMAT software (version 1.1.04) to map the evolution of thematic strands across three periods of the field’s development. The analysis was conducted using metadata obtained from 174 articles that are indexed on WoS and Scopus. The results indicated that with a growing focus on technology or e-leadership, considering the developments in the world of computers and the internet, research into digital leadership has gained momentum in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital leadership is regarded as a broader concept for application in investigating the knowledge, skills, competencies, and perspectives of school leaders to facilitate the healthy integration of digital technologies into education, school administration, and student learning. The field seems to require investigations into the many aspects of digitalization in education to build a more solid and insightful knowledge base to guide the effective practice of digital leadership in schools.

A worldwide bibliometric analysis on euthanasia

Introduction: Euthanasia, which allows individuals with an incurable disease to end their lives in an honourable way, is a long-debated practice. It is related to various issues such as culture, philosophy, religion, ethics, public value, and efficient use of health resources. While some advocate for the right of individuals to choose euthanasia, others criticize it on ethical, legal, and religious grounds. Methods: In this study bibliometric analysis was used and the data were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection database on July 26, 2024. Only English publications and articles were included using keywords such as "euthanasia," "end-of-life decisions," "medical assistance in dying," "physician-assisted death," and "physician-assisted suicide" without time restrictions. VOSviewer software was used to create network and density graphs, and SciMAT software was used to create strategic diagrams. Results: A total of 2,230 studies published between 1980 and 2024 were analyzed. The author with the most publications is Deliens, L, with 86 studies. The majority of studies were published in the USA, Netherlands, and Canada (692, 336, 225 respectively). The most frequently used keywords are euthanasia, palliative care, and ethics. The highest number of publications (149) was in the year 2021. In the strategic diagram for the first period (between 1980 and 2001), the themes of care and ethics were prominent, while for the second period (between 2002 and 2024), the clusters of nurse and shared decision-making were notable. Conclusion: After its legalization in the Netherlands, euthanasia has been accepted and implemented in some countries over the years, with variations in scope. Some countries, like the Netherlands and Belgium, also accept health problems related to old age and mental illness as euthanasia requests. The discussion around euthanasia often revolves around the principles of medical ethics, including autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. Studies have focused on the role of physicians and nurses in the process, as well as end-of-life decision-making by patients. Recently, Canada defined the role of nurses in the euthanasia process, marking a significant development.

Technological surveillance of energy efficiency in agricultural production systems: a systematic review

This document highlights Energy Efficiency (EE) in agricultural production systems through the analysis of the life-cycle of publications in Scopus database, along with the help of SigmaPlot and SciMAT software. Among the results obtained; the growth rate on publications was determined until 2019, with trends in EE research in the agricultural sector. According to the search formulas "energy efficiency" (LIMIT-TO (DOCTYPE, "ar)) and "energy efficiency AND agriculture" (LIMIT-TO (DOCTYPE," ar), which made visible the scientific projection according to the inflection point, as well as the most important motor issues, where those related to soil, water, climatic variability, crops, nitrogen and phosphorus are emphasized, being The United States the country with the greatest scientific dissemination in this regard. In addition, publications and institutions relevant to the case of Colombia were established through TAK ("energy efficiency" AND agriculture) AND (LIMIT-TO (AFFILCOUNTRY, "Colombia").

The Intellectual Evolution of Educational Leadership Research: A Combined Bibliometric and Thematic Analysis Using SciMAT

This study aims to describe the century-long trajectory of educational leadership research (ELR), including changes over time in its main and subsidiary themes, as well as its most influential authors, papers, and journals. The study combines the bibliometric performance and science mapping analysis of 7282 articles retrieved from the Scopus and WoS databases. SciMAT software (version 1.1.04) was used to analyze changes over four sequential time periods and to exhibit the thematic evolution of the field—Period 1 (1907 to 2004), Period 2 (2005 to 2012), Period 3 (2013 to 2019), and Period 4 (2020–2023). Research during Period 1 focused on principals and included efforts to distinguish between their administrative functions and forms of ‘strong’ leadership contributing to school improvement. Period 2 included research aimed at understanding what strong principal leadership entailed, including the development and testing of more coherent models of such leadership. While instructional and transformational leadership models were prominent during Periods 1 and 2, Period 3 research invested heavily in conceptions of leadership distribution. Early research about ‘social justice leadership’ appeared during this period and eventually flourished during Period 4. While principals were an active focus through all Periods, the leadership of others gradually dominated ELR and accounted for the broader leadership theme found in all four periods. The results point to the evolutionary nature of ELR development, which eventually produced a relatively robust knowledge base. Experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that crises such as this might prompt more revolutionary orientations in the ELR field.

Infants on the move: bibliometric analyses of observational vs. digital means of screening infant development.

Neurodevelopmental disorders are on the rise, yet their average diagnosis is after 4.5 years old. This delay is partly due to reliance on social-communication criteria, which require longer maturation than scaffolding elements of neuromotor control. Much earlier criteria could include reflexes, monitoring of the quality of spontaneous movements from central pattern generators and maturation of intentional movements and their overall sensation. General Movement Assessment (GMA) studies these features using observational means, but the last two decades have seen a surge in digital tools that enable non-invasive, continuous tracking of infants' spontaneous movements. Despite their importance, these tools are not yet broadly used. In this work, using CiteSpace, VOSViewer and SciMAT software, we investigate the evolution of the literature on GMA and the methods in use today, to estimate how digital techniques are being adopted. To that end, we created maps of key word co-occurrence networks, co-author networks, document co-citation analysis and strategic diagrams of 295 publications based on a search in the Web of Science, Dimensions and SCOPUS databases for: 'general movement assessment' OR 'general movements assessment'. The nodes on the maps were categorized by size, cluster groups and year of publication. We found that the state-of-the-art methodology to diagnose neurodevelopmental disorders still relies heavily on observation. Several groups in classical GMA research have branched out to incorporate new techniques, but few groups have adopted digital means. We report on additional analyses of methods and biosensors usage and propose that combining traditional clinical observation criteria with digital means may allow earlier diagnoses and interventional therapies for infants.

Dynamic Tracking to Identify Topics and Thematic Evolution of Obsessive-compulsive disorder as an Emerging Topic

This study aims to draw a science map, provide structural analysis, explore the evolution, and determine new trends in research articles published in the field of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The articles published from 1981 to 2021 were retrieved by searching the related keywords in multiple databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, according to their thematic coverage and scope. The papers were analyzed using R and SciMAT software. A total of 1820 articles were analyzed and 4191 keywords plus, and 3242 author keywords were reported in the journals. Moreover, 7482 authors contributed in conducting these studies, of which 111 articles were written by single authors, and the collaborative coefficient was 4.36. Neuropsychopharmacology, International Clinical Psychopharmacology, and Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology are the most significant journals publishing OCD articles. This study uncovered new insights into the evolution trend of the leading research stream on OCD over the past years. The findings of this study can contribute to developing the OCD Global Research Program and policymakers.

Export performance: a comprehensive bibliometric overview

PurposeThis study aims to present a bibliometric overview of the academic research on export performance (EP) in the business and management areas.Design/methodology/approachA bibliometric overview of 1,463 papers from 1968 to 2021, including performance analysis, science mapping analysis and graphical mapping, was conducted using the Scopus database. SciMAT software was used for thematic analysis and conceptual evolution mapping of the EP domain, and VOSviewer software was used for graphical visualization.FindingsThis study shows that EP research experienced spectacular growth, especially between 1998 and 2003, and the interest in this field continues to increase. Also, the USA and the UK appear to be the absolute leaders in EP research, with the best indicators of productivity and influence in all dimensions analyzed. The findings from the analysis through SciMAT indicate that “capabilities” and “R&D” are the main Motor themes that have contributed the most to the EP literature, whereas “global value chain” and “start-up” are emerging themes as new areas of interest.Research limitations/implicationsThis study develops a baseline for representing certain and exhaustive insights in the EP field and specifies trends over a period. Using a single database and excluding book chapters/conference papers are limitations of this study.Originality/valueEP is a research field that has gained wide acceptance in the academic community and international marketing literature. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no bibliometric overview has analyzed the EP literature. This study presents the first systematic quantitative analysis of academic research on EP in the business and management areas.

Evolution of scientific production on urban passenger transport: A bibliometric analysis

Urban passenger transport is a key point in the progress of any city. It is a strategic area whose efficient and sustainable development requires the incorporation of multiple disciplines. It affects territorial, social, health, economic, and environmental policies, among others. In recent years, we have witnessed a series of changes, especially in the domains of technology and environmental issues. The interdisciplinary nature of transport together with these developments has produced fundamental and far-reaching changes in the scientific production related to this field of study which is difficult to cover in a traditional review of the literature. The aim of this work is thus to conduct a bibliometric analysis of urban passenger transport during the period 2001–2021, which illustrates the advances made during this period and stimulate new research in this field. SciMAT software was used for this purpose. The results show the conceptual evolution of urban passenger transport research, identifying seven main thematic areas: (1) health and physical activity, (2) travel, (3) transport policy, (4) air pollution, (5) congestion, (6) social exclusion, and (7) electric and autonomous vehicles.

In-House Outsourcing strategy in business

Objetive: This article carries out a bibliometric analysis and a literature review on Outsourcing/In-House which includes co-word analysis of the publications available in the Web of Science (WoS) and SCOPUS databases and its impact on other associated fields of knowledge since 1990. The key themes conceptualising it, emerging trends, and the future direction that Outsourcing/In-House will take are discussed. Methodology: The SciMAT software tool has been used which allows for the compiling of a science map in conjunction with performance analysis to identify concept subdomains in the field of research and the thematic evolution of Outsourcing/In-House. Results: Structural analysis of the scientific production under study demonstrated strong thematic cohesion concentrated in 18 specific themes. It also identified that the greatest scientific interest in and research on Outsourcing/In-House occurred between 2007 and 2015. Furthermore, it revealed evolution in the goals of this strategy, ranging from merely operational engagement to strategic realms, which has reached a striking level of maturity that persists to the present day.Limitations: The bibliographic search is limited to the two most important databases of publications which are WOS and SCOPUS. Practical implications: Highlighting the importance of this model in solving many current problems linked to efficiency and rising costs. This model underlines the evolution of the relationship framework between clients and subcontracting business.

Thematic and Conceptual Analysis of the Journal of World Economy (Revista de Economía Mundial) Using SciMAT

This paper carries out a bibliometric study of the Journal of World Economy (Revista de Economía Mundial) for the period 2008 to 2021 using the SciMAT software, with the aim of discerning how the published research has evolved and the main areas of study have developed, as well as to indicate future lines that could be prioritized. The results obtained reveal that “economic growth” has been the journal’s main theme through the entire period and that “European Union” has been the basic area of research. At the same time, few articles have referred to highly topical issues such as the green transition of the world economy.

Mapping the knowledge of ecosystem service-based ecological risk assessment: scientometric analysis in CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and SciMAT

The ecosystem services approach offers a more ecologically relevant method to establish environmental conservation goals and implement ecological risk assessment (ERA). The emergence of bibliometrics has facilitated the development of new systematic review techniques. In this study, we utilised CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and SciMAT software, based on the Web of Science database, to qualitatively and quantitatively analyse the ecosystem service-based ecological risk assessment (ESRA) literature knowledge map spanning from 1994 to 2023. This article explored the field’s evolution from macro to micro perspectives, incorporating background information, current trends, and knowledge structure. The findings demonstrate that ESRA has progressed from an initial stage to a phase of global cooperation and policy applications. This transition between stages has been characterised by a shift from focusing on natural processes to understanding human impacts on ecosystems. Key themes identified include ecosystem services, landscape ERA, aquatic ERA and ecosystem health. The overall development of ERA can be observed as a progression through different periods, namely, the traditional era, regional era, and landscape era. Currently, landscape ERA methods based on changes in land use and land cover are widely employed. The study also revealed various challenges in the ESRA field, such as data availability, scale issues, and uncertainty. Future ESRA studies should consider holistic ecosystem services, interdisciplinary approaches, ecological models, and advanced technologies to address complexity. Using big data and informatisation for research offers new opportunities but requires integration and innovation. It is anticipated that ESRA holds promise for ecological sustainability and human wellbeing.

Human resource management and sustainability: Bridging the 2030 agenda

AbstractThe scientific literature related to human resource management (HRM) and sustainability has increased since 2015, coinciding with the establishment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This article combines a bibliometric approach, using VOSviewer and SciMat software, with a systematic literature review to assess and identify the scientific production in this domain. During the period studied (1996–2023), the results reveal the role of HR in achieving corporate sustainability but also the responsibility of companies to apply sustainable principles to HRM practices. Based on the findings and the less developed issues related to the SDGs and HRM a model of research proposals is provided, focusing on mental health (SDG 3), gender equality (SDG 5), collaboration towards climate action and responsible production and consumption (SDGs 12 & 13), and more emphasis on SDG 1 regarding the social sustainability of organisations.

A bibliometric review of the omnichannel logistics literature

ABSTRACT The emergence of omnichannel logistics has led to fundamental changes in traditional e-commerce, retail, and consumer decision-making processes. Due to its crucial effects, the subject of omnichannel logistics has been frequently discussed in the literature in recent years. However, there is a need to clearly define at what level in the field of omnichannel logistics have been conducted and the themes on which they have been based. The aim of this study is to present an extensive and concise literature review on omnichannel logistics and to analyse the thematic evolution of the omnichannel logistics field. The study used bibliometric techniques to explore research trends in the field of omnichannel logistics. Employing SciMAT and VOSviewer software, the study analysed 156 articles from Web of Science journals. These research articles cover the 2016–2022 period. The analysis allowed exploring the dynamics in different years and identifying main/sub-themes. The findings highlighted the themes that are still in the maturation process. These themes are retail, service quality, omnichannel management, city logistics, warehousing, e-commerce and supply chain. This study presents a holistic picture of omnichannel logistics and introduces the themes related to retailer behavior and logistics process to the literature. Researchers can further their studies by considering prominent keywords in omnichannel logistics management. In this sense, the study offers beneficial implications for academics.In addition, the results of the study reveal the direction of the sectoral trends and the trend in the field of omnichannel logistics. In this sense, it offers a roadmap to businesses and sector employees in determining their strategies.

A Holistic Investigation of the Relationship between Digital Addiction and Academic Achievement among Students.

Digital addiction (DA), an umbrella term referring to addiction to any type of digital media, such as the internet, smartphone, digital games, and social media, is a significant factor influencing students' academic achievement (AA). Many scholars have contributed to this line of research from around the world. Nevertheless, the literature lacks a holistic investigation of how the DA-AA research field evolved, which could guide future studies. The current study aims to address this void and conducts a combined bibliometric and science mapping analysis of research addressing the relationship between DA and AA. Data were retrieved from the WoS database, considered one of the optimal databases for such studies with its comprehensive coverage of quality journals. One hundred eighteen articles were included in the final dataset and were analyzed using the SciMAT software, which allowed analysis over three consecutive periods and yielded comparable results regarding the conceptual and thematic evolution of the DA-AA domain. The results indicated an increased research interest in the topic, especially during the last five years. The science mapping analysis showed that the most-studied types of addiction were smartphone addiction for the first two periods and social media addiction for the last. Research in the DA-AA domain which focused on understanding the addictive use of smartphones during the first period, evolved to address factors such as self-efficacy or life satisfaction leading to smartphone addiction and lower grades. During the third period, the number of factors addressed gained significant variety and covered family-related and personal factors.

Analysis of cognitive framework and biomedical translation of tissue engineering in otolaryngology

Tissue engineering is a relatively recent research area aimed at developing artificial tissues that can restore, maintain, or even improve the anatomical and/or functional integrity of injured tissues. Otolaryngology, as a leading surgical specialty in head and neck surgery, is a candidate for the use of these advanced therapies and medicinal products developed. Nevertheless, a knowledge-based analysis of both areas together is still needed. The dataset was retrieved from the Web of Science database from 1900 to 2020. SciMAT software was used to perform the science mapping analysis and the data for the biomedical translation identification was obtained from the iCite platform. Regarding the analysis of the cognitive structure, we find consolidated research lines, such as the generation of cartilage for use as a graft in reconstructive surgery, reconstruction of microtia, or the closure of perforations of the tympanic membrane. This last research area occupies the most relevant clinical translation with the rest of the areas presenting a lower translational level. In conclusion, Tissue engineering is still in an early translational stage in otolaryngology, otology being the field where most advances have been achieved. Therefore, although otolaryngologists should play an active role in translational research in tissue engineering, greater multidisciplinary efforts are required to promote and encourage the translation of potential clinical applications of tissue engineering for routine clinical use.

Tracking the literature on strategic alliances in the biotechnology industry: insights from a bibliometric approach over the last 30 years

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify papers that have produced the most significant impact on research on strategic alliances in the biotechnology industry. The authors attempt to illustrate the thematic evolution of its intellectual structure through 616 papers published between 1992 and 2021.Design/methodology/approachThe present research methodology relies on three distinct techniques, implemented using SciMat software: (1) bibliometric techniques, (2) scientific map analysis and (3) content analysis of research documents from the Web of Science (WoS). In this manner, the authors analyse the intellectual structure of the field of strategic alliances in the biotechnology industry, tracking its evolution over a period of three decades.FindingsThe study emphasises the relevance of “innovation” as a key theme and identifies several potential areas for future research, which could serve as a foundation for further investigations.Originality/valueThis study represents a novel contribution to the literature as it is the first to use the SciMat tool to analyse strategic alliances in the biotechnology industry. This research reveals that while strategic alliances have been assessed extensively across various industries, some topics, such as the types and formation of alliances, have not been specifically studied in the biotechnology industry. These areas as well as the barriers and variables influencing the formation of alliances offer promising avenues for future research in this field.

The scientific evolution of social justice leadership in education: structural and longitudinal analysis of the existing knowledge base, 2003–2022

This study aims to delineate the intellectual and conceptual architecture of social justice leadership (SJL) research in education by reviewing the strategic themes that emerged during its scientific evolution. The study combines bibliometric performance and science mapping analysis of 135 articles on “SJL in education” retrieved from the Scopus database. SciMAT software (version 1.1.04) was used for the study since it allows for sequential analysis. Our analysis comprised three periods: Period 1 (2003–2012), Period 2 (2013–2017), and Period 3 (2018–2022). Studies during the first period mostly centered around transformative leadership, social justice, and equity themes, while the research focus during the second period moved toward the roles of principals in enabling justice. During the third period, the analysis revealed more variety in the themes addressed by scholars. Instructional leadership roles of principals and the outcomes of social justice leadership, such as equity and well-being for different groups vulnerable to injustices, were the most prominent themes addressed during the last period. The study’s findings enable us to reflect on this research field’s well-or underdeveloped aspects. They would help guide research interest into the under-investigated or emerging themes of SJL, which would eventually increase our understanding of the practice and outcomes of SJL in the educational context.

Evaluating the Intellectual Structure of the Knowledge Base on Transformational School Leadership: A Bibliometric and Science Mapping Analysis

Transformational leadership has been persistently studied in the educational administration field considering that it can be a viable tool to respond to the increasing demands on school systems for greater effectiveness. As a result, a rich knowledge base has been accumulated. Our study aims to investigate this knowledge base by combining bibliometric and science mapping analysis so as to exhibit its intellectual and conceptual architecture, and to reveal the strategic themes that emerged during the scientific evolution of transformational school leadership (TSL). 300 articles retrieved from the Scopus database were included in the analysis. The thematic evolution analysis was performed using the SciMAT software over three time periods: the Incubation Period (1989–2009), the Development Period (2010–2020), and the Maturation Period (2021–2022). The findings show that research during the Incubation Period mostly attempted to conceptualize TSL while it mostly focused on principals, instructional leadership, and self-efficacy during the Development Period. The mentoring theme emerged during the first period but disappeared later without being fully-developed. Teacher leadership emerged as a weakly-addressed theme during all periods. Work-family conflict and digital competencies were the two prominent themes during the Maturation Period while online learning and learning culture were found to be the emerging themes. The findings suggest significant implications for the sustainable development of the TSL research field.

Inherited Metabolic Diseases from Past to Present: A Bibliometric Analysis (1968-2023).

Bibliometric studies on inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) do not exist in the literature. Therefore, our research aims to conduct a bibliometric study to determine the current status, trending topics, and missing points of publications on IMDs. Between 1968 and 2023, we conducted a literature search with the keyword "inherited metabolic disease" in the SCOPUS database. We included research articles in medicine written in English and published in the final section. We created our data pool using VOSviewer, SciMAT, and Rstudio software programs for the bibliometric parameters of the articles that met the inclusion criteria. We performed a bibliometric analysis of the data with the R package "bibliometrix" and BibExcel programs. We included 2702 research articles published on IMDs. The top three countries that have written the most articles in this field are the USA (n = 501), the United Kingdom (n = 182), and China (n = 172). The most preferred keywords by the authors were: newborn screening (n = 54), mutation (n = 43), phenylketonuria (n = 42), children (n = 35), genetics (n = 34), and maple syrup urine disease (n = 32). Trending topics were osteoporosis, computed tomography, bone marrow transplantation in the early years of the study, chronic kidney disease, urea cycle disorders, next-generation sequencing, newborn screening, and familial hypercholesterolemia in the final years of the study. This study provides clinicians with a new perspective, showing that molecular and genetic studies of inherited metabolic diseases will play an essential role in diagnosis and treatment in the future.

Bibliometric Analysis of Computational and Mathematical Models of Innovation and Technology in Business

There is consensus, both in academia and in the business world, that one of the main resources of a company is the incorporation of technology and, along with this, its capacity to generate innovation. Therefore, knowing the development of a company’s research becomes essential. The aim of this work is to develop a bibliometric analysis of the literature published in the Web of Science database to analyze the advances and trends in the development of research. The methodology analyzed bibliometric quantity and quality indicators using Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and SciMAT software. The results show the evolution of the topic as well as recognition of the different lines along which research has organized the debate.