How to determine the research trends in a discipline field?

Determining research trends in a discipline involves identifying emerging, persistent, and declining areas of focus through systematic analysis of scholarly literature and data over time. This is achieved by tracking publication volume, citation impact, keyword evolution, funding patterns, and conference themes. Essential principles include longitudinal analysis, using reliable bibliographic databases (e.g., Scopus, Web of Science), and employing appropriate bibliometric or scientometric techniques like co-word analysis, citation analysis, and topic modeling. Identifying trends requires examining shifts in research questions, methodologies, and application domains, distinguishing transient fads from substantive shifts. Critical evaluation of sources and acknowledging database coverage limitations is necessary. The scope applies primarily to established fields with substantial publication output. To implement, systematically gather literature and publication metadata from relevant databases within a defined timeframe (e.g., 5-10 years). Analyze frequency and co-occurrence of keywords, topics identified via computational methods (e.g., Latent Dirichlet Allocation - LDA), and citation networks using tools like VOSviewer or CiteSpace. Track funding announcements and analyze proceedings from key conferences. Correlate findings across indicators and validate with expert community insights to distinguish genuine trends from noise. This process informs strategic research planning, funding allocation, and identifies knowledge gaps.