Bibliometric methods for detecting and analysing emerging research topics

Abstract

This study gives an overview of the process of clustering scientific disciplines using hybrid methods, detecting and labelling emerging topics and analysing the results using bibliometrics methods. The hybrid clustering techniques are based on biblographic coupling and text-mining and 'core documents', and cross-citation links are used to identify emerging fields. The collaboration network of those countries that proved to be most active in the underlying disciplines, in combination with a set of standard indicators, form the groundwork for the bibliometric analysis of the detected emerging research topics.