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This study conducts a bibliometric and thematic-evolution analysis of virtual-reality interaction (VRI) research published between 1995 and 2024, addressing three research questions: first, how global and Chinese VRI output has changed over time; second, which authors, institutions, and countries form the intellectual core of the field; and third, what thematic clusters and emerging fronts define current scholarship. After retrieval and data cleaning, we obtained 1,424 valid papers from the Web of Science Core Collection database and 494 valid core journal articles from CNKI, CiteSpace 6.2 (R3) was mainly used to conduct the analysis, and author, institution, and keyword networks were generated. The study identifies that publication output follows three distinct periods internationally—an incubation phase from 1995 to 2007, an acceleration phase from 2008 to 2015, and a surge phase from 2016 to 2020—with the highest annual volume recorded in 2020; Chinese output rises sharply after 2016 and peaks in both 2018 and 2022, consistent with national policy incentives. The Chinese Academy of Sciences and University College London lead institutional productivity with eighteen papers each, while China, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy dominate national contributions. Applying Price’s law identifies 135 core authors, with Lecuyer A. heading the most cohesive collaboration cluster. High-frequency keywords such as “virtual reality,” “augmented reality,” “human–computer interaction,” “mixed reality,” and “realism” organize eighteen thematic clusters, and burst detection reveals recent growth in topics including deep learning, brain–computer interfaces, and the metaverse, signalling a shift from device-centric studies toward intelligent, multisensory interaction and educational applications. By integrating longitudinal output metrics with rigorous network statistics, the study clarifies the VRI knowledge landscape, highlights influential contributors, and outlines future research directions that emphasise AI-enhanced interaction paradigms and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

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Mapping the Knowledge Landscape of Virtual Reality Interaction (1995–2024): A Bibliometric Review and Thematic Evolution Study

  • 会议论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Lu Liu,
  • Ben Liu,
  • HouHong Huang

摘要

This study conducts a bibliometric and thematic-evolution analysis of virtual-reality interaction (VRI) research published between 1995 and 2024, addressing three research questions: first, how global and Chinese VRI output has changed over time; second, which authors, institutions, and countries form the intellectual core of the field; and third, what thematic clusters and emerging fronts define current scholarship. After retrieval and data cleaning, we obtained 1,424 valid papers from the Web of Science Core Collection database and 494 valid core journal articles from CNKI, CiteSpace 6.2 (R3) was mainly used to conduct the analysis, and author, institution, and keyword networks were generated. The study identifies that publication output follows three distinct periods internationally—an incubation phase from 1995 to 2007, an acceleration phase from 2008 to 2015, and a surge phase from 2016 to 2020—with the highest annual volume recorded in 2020; Chinese output rises sharply after 2016 and peaks in both 2018 and 2022, consistent with national policy incentives. The Chinese Academy of Sciences and University College London lead institutional productivity with eighteen papers each, while China, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy dominate national contributions. Applying Price’s law identifies 135 core authors, with Lecuyer A. heading the most cohesive collaboration cluster. High-frequency keywords such as “virtual reality,” “augmented reality,” “human–computer interaction,” “mixed reality,” and “realism” organize eighteen thematic clusters, and burst detection reveals recent growth in topics including deep learning, brain–computer interfaces, and the metaverse, signalling a shift from device-centric studies toward intelligent, multisensory interaction and educational applications. By integrating longitudinal output metrics with rigorous network statistics, the study clarifies the VRI knowledge landscape, highlights influential contributors, and outlines future research directions that emphasise AI-enhanced interaction paradigms and cross-disciplinary collaboration.