A Bibliometric Analysis of Metaverse: Mapping, Visualizing and Future Research Trends

Year 2025, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 38 - 50, 30.06.2025

Saad G. Yaseen Ayman Abdalmajeed Smadi , Shorouq F. Eletter

https://doi.org/10.57019/jmv.1582149

Cited By: 1

Abstract

Metaverse merges diverse digital technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), Internet of Things (IoT) sensing technology, Three-dimensional (3D), Extended Reality (XR), and modeling. This research aims to present a bibliometric analysis for visualizing and mapping Metaverse research. In particular, 2673 research articles listed in the Scopus database between the years 2000 and 2023 were analyzed. The knowledge visualization and mapping based on VOS viewer and R studio present the current research status and keywords analysis. This research highlights newer insights into Metaverse applications across various business domains. The findings suggest that the metaverse is highly inclusive. The majority of industries and businesses have adopted several metaverse applications. The present state of the Metaverse literature justifies that Metaverse deep learning, Metaverse blockchain, and cyber-human interaction is a rapidly evolving research domain that engages a set of interconnected fields, which include the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual space, mixed reality and digital twin.

Keywords

Bibliometric analysis , Metaverse , visualizing , Virtual Reality (VR) , Augmented Reality (AR) , Three dimensional (3D) , Thematic (Tm)

References

• Lyu, Z., & Fridenfalk, M. (2023). Digital twins for building industrial metaverse. Journal of Advanced Research, 66, 31-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2023.11.019
• Kumar, A., Saudagar, A. K. J., Alkhathami, M., Alsamani, B., Khan, M. B., Hasanat, M. H. A., ... & Srinivasan, B. (2023). Gamified learning and assessment using ARCS with next-generation AIoMT integrated 3D animation and Virtual Reality simulation. Electronics, 12(4), 835.
• Wu, P., Chen, D., & Zhang, R. (2024). Topic prevalence and trends of Metaverse in healthcare: A bibliometric analysis. Data Science and Management, 7(2), 129-143.
• Stephenson, N. (1994). Snow crash. Penguin UK.
• Chanda, R. C., Vafaei-Zadeh, A., Hanifah, H., & Ramayah, T. (2023). Investigating factors influencing individual user's intention to adopt cloud computing: a hybrid approach using PLS-SEM and fsQCA. Kybernetes.
• Dargan, S., Bansal, S., Kumar, M., Mittal, A., & Kumar, K. (2023). Augmented Reality: A comprehensive review. Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering, 30(2), 1057-1080.
• Tham, J., Duin, A. H., Gee, L., Ernst, N., Abdelqader, B., & McGrath, M. (2018). Understanding Virtual Reality: Presence, embodiment, and professional practice. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 61(2), 178-195.
• Uddin, M., Obaidat, M., Manickam, S., Laghari, S. U. A., Dandoush, A., Ullah, H., & Ullah, S. S. (2024). Exploring the convergence of Metaverse, Blockchain, and AI: A comprehensive survey of enabling technologies, applications, challenges, and future directions. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, 14(6), e1556.
• Xu, X., Zou, G., Chen, L., & Zhou, T. (2022). Metaverse space ecological scene design based on multimedia digital technology. Mobile Information Systems, 2022.
• Wang, W. X., Zhou, F., WAN, Y. L., & NING, H. S. (2022). A survey of metaverse technology. Chinese Journal of Engineering, 44(4), 744-756.
• Casale-Brunet, S., Mattavelli, M., & Chiariglione, L. (2023). Exploring blockchain-based metaverses: Data collection and valuation of virtual lands using machine learning techniques. Digital Business, 3(2), 100068.
• Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of business research, 133, 285-296.
• Chaudhuri, R., Chavan, G., Vadalkar, S., Vrontis, D., & Pereira, V. (2021). Two-decade bibliometric overview of publications in the Journal of Knowledge Management. Journal of Knowledge Management, 25(6), 1550-1574.
• Lu, H. P., Chang, Y. C., & Chen, C. S. (2024). How to trigger user’s willingness to participate in the metaverse? An exploration of the significant factors of the metaverse. Virtual Reality, 28(2), 1-16.
• Arya, V., Sambyal, R., Sharma, A., & Dwivedi, Y. K. (2024). Brands are calling your AVATAR in Metaverse–A study to explore XR‐based gamification marketing activities & consumer‐based brand equity in virtual world. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 23(2), 556-585.
• Ritterbusch, G. D., & Teichmann, M. R. (2023). Defining the metaverse: A systematic literature review. IEEE Access, 11, 12368-12377.
• Misa, A., Melenciuc, M., Pădurariu, I., & Văduva, C. (2022). Metaverse Engagement Metrics, Workplace Monitoring and Tracking Systems, Behavioral Predictive Analytics in Immersive 3D Virtual Reality Environments. Psychosociological Issues in Human Resource Management, 10(2), 103-118.
• Kim, D. Y., Lee, H. K., & Chung, K. (2023). Avatar-mediated experience in the metaverse: The impact of avatar realism on user-avatar relationship. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 73, 103382.
• Yang, H., Cho, Y. and Han, S.-Y. (2024), "Understanding user perceptions toward marketing in the metaverse", Kybernetes, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-08-2023-1524
• Fernández-Ruano, M. L., Frías-Jamilena, D. M., Polo-Peña, A. I., & Peco-Torres, F. (2022). The use of gamification in environmental interpretation and its effect on customer-based destination brand equity: the moderating role of psychological distance. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 23, 100677.
• Kim, J. (2021). Advertising in the metaverse: Research agenda. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 21(3), 141-144.
• Singh, S., Singh, G., & Dhir, S. (2024). Impact of digital marketing on the competitiveness of the restaurant industry. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 27(2), 109-137.
• Jasen, S. (2022). Applicability of CAD/CAM Technology in Orthodontics. Digital Economy, Business Analytics, and Big Data Analytics Applications, 69-76.
• SS. F. Eletter, G. A. Elrefae, S. G. Yaseen and A. R. Alshehadeh, "Using Monte Carlo Simulation for Real Estate Price Valuation," 2024 25th International Arab Conference on Information Technology (ACIT), Zarqa, Jordan, 2024, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/ACIT62805.2024.10876955.
• Alhalaybeh, A., & Althunibat, A. (2023, August). Measuring Acceptance of Adoption Metaverse in eLearning by Using TAM Model. In 2023 International Conference on Information Technology (ICIT) (pp. 361-366). IEEE.
• Yao, X., Ma, N., Zhang, J., Wang, K., Yang, E., & Faccio, M. (2024). Enhancing wisdom manufacturing as industrial metaverse for industry and society 5.0. Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, 35(1), 235-255.
• Buhalis, D., Leung, D., & Lin, M. (2023). Metaverse as a disruptive technology revolutionising tourism management and marketing. Tourism Management, 97, 104724.
• Kraus, S., Kanbach, D. K., Krysta, P. M., Steinhoff, M. M., & Tomini, N. (2022). Facebook and the creation of the metaverse: radical business model innovation or incremental transformation?. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 28(9), 52-77.
• Zhang, X., Clarke, C. L., & Rhynas, S. J. (2020). A thematic analysis of Chinese people with dementia and family caregivers’ experiences of home care in China. Dementia, 19(8), 2821-2835.
• Zhang, L., Anjum, M. A., & Wang, Y. (2024). The impact of trust-building mechanisms on purchase intention towards metaverse shopping: the moderating role of age. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 40(12), 3185-3203.
• Wedel, M., Bigné, E., & Zhang, J. (2020). Virtual and Augmented Reality: Advancing research in consumer marketing. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 37(3), 443-465.
• Pernice, I. G., & Scott, B. (2021). Cryptocurrency. Internet policy review, 10(2).
• Malik, N., Appel, G., & Luo, L. (2023). Blockchain technology for creative industries: Current state and research opportunities. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 40(1), 38-48.
• Sharma, M., Luthra, S., Joshi, S., & Kumar, A. (2022). Developing a framework for enhancing survivability of sustainable supply chains during and post-COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 25(4-5), 433-453.
• Lee, C. T., Ho, T. Y., & Xie, H. H. (2023). Building brand engagement in metaverse commerce: The role of branded non-fungible tokens (BNFTs). Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 58, 101248.
• Dwivedi, Y. K., Hughes, L., Baabdullah, A. M., Ribeiro-Navarrete, S., Giannakis, M., Al-Debei, M. M., ... & Wamba, S. F. (2022). Metaverse beyond the hype: Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy. International Journal of Information Management, 66, 102542.
• Flavián, C., Ibáñez-Sánchez, S., Orús, C., & Barta, S. (2024). The dark side of the metaverse: The role of gamification in event virtualization. International Journal of Information Management, 75, 102726.
• van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3.
• Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & PRISMA Group*, T. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. Annals of internal medicine, 151(4), 264-269.
• Paltrinieri, A., Hassan, M. K., Bahoo, S., & Khan, A. (2023). A bibliometric review of sukuk literature. International Review of Economics & Finance, 86, 897-918.
• Jaradat, Y., Alia, M., Masoud, M., Manasrah, A., Jebreil, I., Garaibeh, A., & Al-Arasi, S. (2022). A bibliometric analysis of the International Journal of Advances in Soft Computing and its Applications: Research influence and Contributions. International Journal of Advances in Soft Computing & Its Applications, 14(2), 186-184. http://dx.doi.org/10.15849/IJASCA.220720.12
• Alsmadi, A. A., Al-Gasaymeh, A., & Alrawashdeh, N. (2022). Purchasing Power Parity: A Bibliometric approach for the period of 1935-2021. Calitatea, 23(189), 260-269.
• Alrawashdeh, N., Alsmadi, A. A., & Al-Gasaymeh, A. (2022). FinTech: a bibliometric analysis for the period of 2014-2021. Calitatea, 23(188), 176-188.
• Alnajem, M., Mostafa, M. M., & ElMelegy, A. R. (2021). Mapping the first decade of circular economy research: a bibliometric network analysis. Journal of Industrial and Production Engineering, 38(1), 29-50.
• Gan, Y. N., Li, D. D., Robinson, N., & Liu, J. P. (2022). Practical guidance on bibliometric analysis and mapping knowledge domains methodology–A summary. European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 56, 102203.
• Boyack, K. W., & Klavans, R. (2010). Co‐citation analysis, bibliographic coupling, and direct citation: Which citation approach represents the research front most accurately?. Journal of the American Society for information Science and Technology, 61(12), 2389-2404.
• Shiau, W. L., Dwivedi, Y. K., & Yang, H. S. (2017). Co-citation and cluster analyses of extant literature on social networks. International Journal of Information Management, 37(5), 390-399.
• Park, S., & Kim, S. (2022). Identifying world types to deliver gameful experiences for sustainable learning in the Metaverse. Sustainability, 14(3), 1361.
• Zhang, X., Gao, Z., Wang, Y., Zhang, X., & Wang, Y. Exploring the Impact of Gamification in Immersive Virtual Exhibitions: From User Experience Perspective. Available at SSRN 4681231. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4681231
• Fadhel, M. A., Duhaim, A. M., Albahri, A. S., Al-Qaysi, Z. T., Aktham, M. A., Chyad, M. A., ... & Gu, Y. (2024). Navigating the metaverse: unraveling the impact of artificial intelligence—a comprehensive review and gap analysis. Artificial Intelligence Review, 57(10), 264.
• Jaradat, Y. M., Zerek, A. R., Masoud, M. Z., Manasrah, A. A., Abdaljlil, S. A., & Alheyasat, O. (2023, May). Analysis of the scientific publication of Libyan State: A bibliometric review. In 2023 IEEE 3rd International Maghreb Meeting of the Conference on Sciences and Techniques of Automatic Control and Computer Engineering (MI-STA) (pp. 382-386). IEEE.
• Chodakowska, E., Nazarko, J., Nazarko, Ł., & Rabayah, H. S. (2024). Solar Radiation Forecasting: A Systematic Meta-Review of Current Methods and Emerging Trends. Energies, 17(13), 3156.
• Himangi, P., & Singla, M. (2022). Investigating Role of Deep Learning in Metaverse. International Journal of New Practices in Management and Engineering, 11(01), 53-60.
• Alkasasbeh, H., Oudat, M.S., Abu-AlSondos, I. and Alhawamdeh, L. (2024), "Metaverse finance: shaping the future of Islamic fintech solutions in UAE", Journal of Islamic Marketing, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-01-2024-0039.
• Kaur, N., Saha, S., Agarwal, V., & Gulati, S. (2023, February). Metaverse and fintech: Pathway for innovation and development. In 2023 3rd International Conference on Innovative Practices in Technology and Management (ICIPTM) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.
• Alhalaybeh, A., Alkhatib, A. A., Albustanji, R. N., Elmanaseer, S., Kanan, T., & Alsakarnah, R. (2023, August). Facilitating Metaverse Integration in Education via Extended Reality and the Internet of Things: AN OVERVIEW. In 2023 International Conference on Information Technology (ICIT) (pp. 38-42). IEEE.
• Alotaibi, O. (2024). Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Metaverse Gaming Experience and Human Interaction. International Journal of Metaverse, 2(1), 11-19.
• Benjamins, R., Rubio Viñuela, Y., & Alonso, C. (2023). Social and ethical challenges of the metaverse: Opening the debate. AI and Ethics, 3(3), 689-697.
• Aiolfi, S., & Luceri, B. (2024). See you on the Metaverse: A bibliometric expedition through the Metaverse landscape. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 207, 123605.
• Gadekallu, T. R., Huynh-The, T., Wang, W., Yenduri, G., Ranaweera, P., Pham, Q. V., ... & Liyanage, M. (2022). Blockchain for the metaverse: A review. arXiv preprint arXiv:2203.09738.
• Lim, W. M., Kumar, S., & Donthu, N. (2024). How to combine and clean bibliometric data and use bibliometric tools synergistically: Guidelines using metaverse research. Journal of Business Research, 182, 114760.
• Huynh-The, T., Pham, Q. V., Pham, X. Q., Nguyen, T. T., Han, Z., & Kim, D. S. (2023). Artificial intelligence for the metaverse: A survey. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 117, 105581.
• Soliman, M. M., Ahmed, E., Darwish, A., & Hassanien, A. E. (2024). Artificial intelligence powered Metaverse: analysis, challenges and future perspectives. Artificial Intelligence Review, 57(2), 36.
• Han, D. I. D., Bergs, Y., & Moorhouse, N. (2022). Virtual Reality consumer experience escapes: preparing for the metaverse. Virtual Reality, 26(4), 1443-1458.