A Visualization Analysis of Crisis and Risk Communication Research Using CiteSpace

Abstract

This study aims to understand the research status and development trend of crisis and risk communication research (CRCR) through a visual analysis in CiteSpace, thereby providing a more comprehensive perspective for future research agenda. First, we retrieved published papers from Web of Science (1986–2020) and Scopus (1979–2020) with a title search. Subsequently, we analyzed the main research strengths and main topics of CRCR from two dimensions: co-authorship network and co-citation network. We conducted an in-depth co-citation network analysis from four perspectives: cluster analysis, high co-cited literature analysis, burst analysis, and turning points analysis. These results revealed the main research topics in the CRCR field, the most eye-catching research literature, the emerging research hotspots in each period, and the turning points of the overall development. Finally, we suggested further research directions for future avenues.