Analysis of research topics and trends in investigator-initiated research/trials (IIRs/IITs): A topic modeling study

Abstract

Background: With the exponential growth of publications in the field of investigator-initiated research/trials (IIRs/IITs), it has become necessary to employ text mining and bibliometric analysis as tools for gaining deeper insights into this area of study. By using these methods, researchers can effectively identify and analyze research topics within the field. Methods: This study retrieved relevant publications from the Web of Science Core Collection and conducted bioinformatics analysis. The latent Dirichlet allocation model, which is based on machine learning, was utilized to identify subfield research topics. Results: A total of 4315 articles related to IIRs/IITs were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection. After excluding duplicates and articles with missing abstracts, a final dataset of 3333 articles was included for bibliometric analysis. The number of publications showed a steady increase over time, particularly since 2000. The United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada, Denmark, Japan, Switzerland, and France emerged as the most productive countries in terms of IIRs/IITs. The citation analysis revealed intriguing trends, with certain highly cited articles showing a significant increase in citation frequency in recent years. A model with 45 topics was deemed the best fit for characterizing the extensively researched fields within IIRs/IITs. Our analysis revealed 10 top topics that have garnered significant attention, spanning domains such as community health, cancer treatment, brain development and disease mechanisms, nursing research, and stem cell therapy. These top topics offer researchers valuable directions for further investigation and innovation. Additionally, we identified 12 hot topics, which represent the most cutting-edge and highly regarded research areas within the field. Conclusion: This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the current research landscape and provides valuable insights for researchers working in this domain.