Mapping the Scientific Landscape of Metaverse Using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix

Abstract

The concept of the Metaverse has gained increasing attention as advances in virtual and augmented reality (AR) technologies have enabled the creation of immersive and interactive virtual environments. However, most of these studies remain independent and only a few studies attempted to investigate their relationships. To analyze key trends in Metaverse research and conduct a thorough bibliometric analysis, we used VOSviewer and Bibliometrix, R-tool package on the Scopus database. Our co-occurrence analysis revealed that the hot topics are related to virtual reality, augmented reality, the Internet of Things, and blockchain, and there are potential areas for future research, such as privacy, security, and education in the Metaverse. In addition, our analysis identified the most active countries and institutions in the field, the top subject areas, as well as potential gaps in the literature that could be explored in future research. This study provides valuable insights into Metaverse research and can help guide future research in this field.