A Bibliometric Analysis of Virtual Reality Applications in Anthropology

JUCS - Journal of Universal Computer Science 31(8): 831-850, doi: 10.3897/jucs.130590

Eugen Valentin Butilă^‡, Mihai Burlacu^‡, Răzvan Gabriel Boboc^‡, Robertas Damaševičius^§

‡ Transilvania University of Brașov, Brașov, Romania§ Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania

Corresponding author: Răzvan Gabriel Boboc ( razvan.boboc@unitbv.ro )

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-ND 4.0). This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.

Citation: Butilă EV, Burlacu M, Boboc RG, Damaševičius R (2025) A Bibliometric Analysis of Virtual Reality Applications in Anthropology. JUCS - Journal of Universal Computer Science 31(8): 831-850. https://doi.org/10.3897/jucs.130590

Abstract

As a relatively new technology that has gone through several iterations in the last decade, virtual reality (VR) applications have been used in a plethora of activities pertaining to various sciences, including anthropology. In this paper, we expound a bibliometric analysis of the reviews and research articles regarding the use of VR applications in anthropology between 2010 and 2023. The analysed publications were obtained from the Scopus database, and Microsoft Excel and VOSViewer were used to analyse the data. Utilizing bibliometric methods, the analysis encompasses a thorough examination of scholarly publications, identifying and scrutinizing prominent journals, prolific authors, affiliated institutions, and key research themes within the realm of VR applications in anthropology. The objective is to provide a systematic and insightful overview of the evolution, current state, and emerging trends in the integration of VR within the anthropo-logical discourse, shedding light on the interdisciplinary nature and impact of this innovative technology on anthropological research and practice.

Keywords

Virtual Reality, Anthropology, Bibliometric analysis, VOSviewer