Mapping the Evolution Trends in Interactive Storytelling: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

The explosions of new media led the studies of interactive storytelling in the area of creative industry. The field of interactive storytelling is identified as the key prospect areas of the study. Hence future research directions are call upon for the growth benefits of the research field. This study aims to assess the evolution of publication trends in interactive storytelling between the year of 1996 to 2020 through a bibliometric analysis. A sample of 795 studies from the SCOPUS database were analysed via the VOSviewer and Harzing’s Perish or Publish software tools to distinguish research activity on interactive storytelling. The identification of the dominant articles and authors are traced based on the event of the citations, publications, its location and network. The growth on the related publication somewhat slow from 1996 until it starts picking up in 2007 with an average of 36 publications a year since then. The highest number of publications is observed in 2011, with a total of 71 documents (8.93%). The subject of Computer Science is majorly depicted on the studies of Interactive Storytelling (53.5%), followed with Mathematics (24.53%). Meanwhile, the subjects of Engineering (7.30%), Social Sciences (6.47 %), and Arts and Humanities (3.99%) contributing to the total publications of Interactive storytelling. Furthermore, computer science and mathematics subject are the most represented for the studies of Interactive Storytelling to explain the complexity and technicality aspects of the scientific narratives with the compelling features of the interactivity.