Discovering current trends and forecasting future research directions in FinTech by way of co-word-burst analyses

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify the existing research themes and future directions of the FinTech field by analyzing the dynamics of co-word burst.

Design/methodology/approach

A dataset of 1792 SCI or SSCI articles retrieved from the Web of Science database. First, the paper conducted a scientific production analysis. Then, using bibliometric analysis, the paper conducts co-word-burst analyses for keywords, title, abstract and Keywords Plus to detect the emerging trends. Based on these trends, future research directions were forecasted.

Findings

The study detected six research themes: the knowledge of FinTech, FinTech applications, FinTech technologies, COVID-19, FinTech ecosystem and FinTech implications for research. These six FinTech research themes were further conceptualized as a six-dimensional analytical framework for FinTech investigations. Then, the study forecasts that these six themes and related conversations will be an ongoing focus of Fintech research, particularly COVID-19 effects on FinTech.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to review FinTech literature based on quantitative and qualitative analyses of co-word burst. It overcomes the limitation of individual/group determinant(s) studies and presents a holistic view of current research themes and future research directions in FinTech field.

Citation

Duan, C. (2025), "Discovering current trends and forecasting future research directions in FinTech by way of co-word-burst analyses", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 125 No. 2, pp. 458-482. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-03-2023-0190