Research Progress and Hotspots in Epidemics and Public Opinion: Visual Review Based on CiteSpace

Abstract

The paper aims to present a comprehensive analysis of the progress, hotspots, and trends of research in the study of epidemics and public opinion. Using CiteSpace as a research tool, this study focuses on 102 relevant literature on epidemics and public opinion published between 2013 and 2023 in the core database of Web of Science. Drawing on various data such as the annual number of publications, journal sources, authors, research institutions, and keywords, this paper constructs knowledge maps to provide an in-depth analysis of the research trends and developmental directions in the field of study over the past decade. The research findings indicate that the field of study has undergone three phases, namely exploration, outbreak, and retracement. The research hotspots in this field of study mainly focus on social media, epidemics model, media, public health, sentiment analysis, Twitter, behavior, and communication. Additionally, the research highlights that online public opinion is an essential trend for future exploration and study in this field.

Media Coverage of China During COVID-19: A Systematic Review

“…Che, Kamphuis, Zhang, Zhao, & Kim, (2022) used this approach to analyze research hotspots related to crisis and risk communication during COVID-19. Kang, & Liu, (2023) also used this method in their study of trends in public opinion during the COVID-19 pandemic. These research examples provide a good reference for choosing research methods.…”