Visualizing the evolution of touchscreen research by scientometric analysis

Purpose This study aims to present recent trends in touchscreen research through scientometric analysis. Devices with touchscreen are powerful tools for performing specialized operations. The touch screens of tablets, smartphones, laptops and television play an important role in teaching, learning and research. Design/methodology/approach The data was collected from Web of Science database from 2011 to 2021 and analysed using MS-Excel and VOSviewer software. After analysing 389 research papers, the authors identified the high impact journals, collaboration of countries, institutions, authors and growth trend of publications. Analysing the most used keywords, country-wise distribution of publications and research collaboration between institutions will help interpret the research trends in the selected time span. Findings The publications show an increase in number over the years from 2011 to 2021. Among the countries, USA has the highest number of 127 articles published, followed by England (61) and Canada (30). The results showed that the multiple authorship pattern in touchscreen publication is high when compared to single authors. The institutional analysis indicated that the organizations publishing more than five documents in the area were mostly from United Kingdom, Australia, USA and Korea. Timeline visualizations identified prominent keywords like touchscreen, performance, operant platform, Alzheimer’s disease, etc. in the subject. Interdisciplinary research is dominant in the subject, as seen from the most preferred journals and keywords. Research limitations/implications The analysis does not include a comprehensive coverage of the research output, as only Web of Science database from 2011 to 2021 in a 10-year period is included. Practical implications The study would benefit stakeholders, including manufacturers and researchers alike, to know the future of touchscreen research. Social implications This study is pertinent to socio-psychological fields because touchscreen technology encourages social connection among older persons and may help foster early literacy skills. Originality/value This paper will provide an understanding of the global developments in touchscreen research with recommendations for future research.