RESEARCH TRENDS AND HOTSPOTS IN WANG YANGMING STUDIES: A VISUALIZATION APPROACH USING VOSVIEWER – International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Review

RESEARCH TRENDS AND HOTSPOTS IN WANG YANGMING STUDIES: A VISUALIZATION APPROACH USING VOSVIEWER

Authors: Min Li* & Huichan Ren

ABSTRACT

This study employs VOSviewer 1.6.18(0) and Excel to conduct a bibliometric visualization analysis of 620 CSSCI-indexed journal articles on Wang Yangming’s philosophy published in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure from 2020 to 2025. By systematically mapping publication trends, thematic clusters, and author collaborations, the research aims to identify core academic dynamics and evolutionary trajectories in Wang Yangming scholarship. This study reveals a publication pattern characterized by a surge, adjustment, and recovery, peaking at 145 articles in 2022. Key contributors include highly productive authors such as Fu Xihong and Li Chenggui. It highlights that research on Wang Yangming centers on key themes such as Xinxue, liangzhi, and the unity of knowledge and action. These high-frequency keywords reflect the primary focus of scholarly inquiry. While author co-occurrence analysis reveals a lack of sufficient cross-cluster collaboration. High-impact journals such as History of Chinese Philosophy and Philosophical Research dominate academic dissemination. Future research trends are likely to involve deeper cross-disciplinary studies and international dialogue. This study offers a novel paradigm for Wang Yangming studies through structured knowledge maps. It provides theoretical insights for modernizing and globally disseminating Chinese traditional culture while offering empirical guidance for future research topics and interdisciplinary methodologies.

Keywords: Wang Yangming, Research Trends, Visualization Analysis, VOSviewer

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