3. Conclusions

3. Define simple shapes to represent the cloud. Today there are multiple wordcloud creation tools. Most of them allow to use a defined image for the cloud layout. It is recommended to use images without internal content, only frame, so that the words can be distributed

4. Select a Sans Serif font. The wordclouds are presented more frequently in digital media, in

5. Define an intention for the color usage. The visual representation should be as enriched as possible. Therefore, the color defined for each term must show its own characteristic. A good intention of color is to establish clusters of terms [23] that determine the main

Finally, by means of a rapid visual analysis of the generated wordcloud, the research fronts of

• Based on the results shown in Figures 4–6, two significant clusters can be identified

• The most outstanding research fronts of e-learning are those that analyze the design and construction of interactive learning environments and teaching and learning

A limitation of wordclouds, that can affect the reader's interpretation, is the term length that can capture a quick attention being located in a central place of the visualization without having significant weight. However, this visualization technique is a powerful tool to abstract relevant information from large volumes of information, in addition, it can be used to observe the main trends of other bibliometric data. For example, journals and congresses with the greatest influence in the discipline or the institutions and countries that contribute the most to the discipline

the scientific field can be identified in a differentiated way.

strategies in the virtual modality

which a clean, non-blurred reading is sought, to avoid visual fatigue

inside without obstacles.

research fronts.

E-learning case

E-learning case

(Table 1):

productivity.

Option 1: Option 2: Option 3:

58 Scientometrics

Examples of wordclouds.

This study proved that bibliometric analysis combined with visualization techniques provides sufficient elements to map an emerging discipline, in this case study, e-learning.

publications for other bibliometric analyzes. Through this technique it was determined that e-

Mapping a Research Field: Analyzing the Research Fronts in an Emerging Discipline

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.76731

61

The visualization of the main keywords present in the set of publications of a discipline through wordclouds, allows to clearly identify the research fronts of this subject, by grouping the research topics and showing their relative weight in the scientific development of the discipline. In the case study, two main research fronts were identified in e-learning, interactive learning

The data related to this research were obtained, on the one hand, from the access to SCOPUS and on the other, provided by SCImago Research Group. These are protected by licensing and

Gerardo Tibaná-Herrera1,2\*, María Teresa Fernández-Bajón1 and Félix de Moya-Anegón<sup>3</sup>

[1] Chan HC, Guness V, Kim HW. A method for identifying journals in a discipline: An application to information systems. Information and Management [Internet]. 2015;52(2):

learning has its scientific development mainly in the social sciences.

To SCImago Research Group for providing citation data for publications.

environments and teaching and learning strategies.

Acknowledgements

Conflict of interest

copyright respectively.

Author details

References

Notes/Thanks/Other declarations

\*Address all correspondence to: gtibana@gmail.com 1 Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain

2 SCImago Research Group, Bogotá, Colombia

239-246. DOI: 10.1016/j.im.2014.11.003

3 SCImago Research Group, Madrid, Spain

Not applicable.

Figure 6. Wordcloud of e-learning worldwide, based on data from SCImago Journal & Country Rank in horizontal format (Source: Self-made).


Table 1. Main fronts of e-learning research worldwide, with the occurrence values in the wordcloud obtained from SCImago Journal & Country Rank (Source: self-made).

The mapping overlay technique allows visualizing the existing cohesion between the scientific communications generated by the community of researchers in the subject, determining the knowledge areas in which the research activity is developed and establishing the base set of publications for other bibliometric analyzes. Through this technique it was determined that elearning has its scientific development mainly in the social sciences.

The visualization of the main keywords present in the set of publications of a discipline through wordclouds, allows to clearly identify the research fronts of this subject, by grouping the research topics and showing their relative weight in the scientific development of the discipline. In the case study, two main research fronts were identified in e-learning, interactive learning environments and teaching and learning strategies.
