Conduct deeper analyses of emerging research trends with the integration of Research Horizon Navigator™ data across the InCites™ application.
In today’s fast-paced research environment, identifying trends early is key. Institutions, researchers, and policymakers need to understand where groundbreaking discoveries are likely to occur to focus effort, inform planning and make investment decisions. Last June, we introduced the Research Horizon Navigator module within InCites Benchmarking & Analytics™ to enable users to identify emerging topics: areas of research gaining momentum and influence. Emerging topics help research stakeholders make better-informed decisions about research strategy and direction.
We are pleased to announce that over 10,000 emerging topics grouped in 25 research categories are now available as a new schema in all InCites Benchmarking & Analytics analysis modules. Integrating emerging topics into InCites more broadly provides users with a powerful toolset to:
- Measure innovation performance against peers based on contributions to key emerging themes
- Assess potential collaborators or key opinion leaders participating in emerging topics
- Demonstrate institutional impact on the formation of new research areas
Figure 1: Top 15 Asia-Pacific universities by publications in emerging topics about Social Sciences.
Unveiling the research landscape
The topological map below illustrates how the thousands of emerging topics in InCites intersect and grow, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of modern scientific advancement in today’s research landscape. Emerging research includes five important themes that highlight some of the most dynamic areas of growth.
Figure 2: Visualization of emerging topics created in Plotly
Five themes in emerging research
1. Artificial Intelligence and machine learning
AI and machine learning are seeing rapid adoption across many fields. From AI-driven healthcare diagnostics and personalized medicine to autonomous systems such as robotics and personalized education tools, AI is transforming industries. These developments underscore AI’s role as a significant driver of change across sectors.
2. Well-being and mental health
Researchers continue to examine COVID-19’s effects on mental health, healthcare systems and social dynamics. There is also increased interest in lifestyle interventions, digital health and social support systems to address these challenges, reflecting a shift towards holistic health approaches.
3. Sustainability and environmental concerns
Research on sustainability is gaining momentum amid concerns about climate change and resource depletion. Key areas include renewable energy, circular economy practices and sustainable agriculture, all focused on mitigating environmental challenges and improving human well-being.
4. Social and cultural dynamics
Research emphasizes the importance of social and cultural dynamics, particularly the impact of digital media on behavior and societal trends. Topics like identity politics, migration and social justice highlight a growing focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion and reflect efforts to tackle complex social challenges.
5. Biomedical advancements
Breakthroughs in gene- and cell-based therapies, AI-driven imaging, precision diagnostics are accelerating progress in cancer treatment, vaccine development, and managing COVID-19. Researchers use epigenetics, single-cell profiling and other emerging methods to provide more personalized care ultimately improving prevention, diagnosis and therapy across a range of diseases.
Innovate at the leading edge of research
With the integration of emerging topics across InCites, you can explore your department’s or institution’s contributions to key themes such as AI, well-being, sustainability, social dynamics and biomedical advances enabling you to make data driven decisions aligned with latest research trends.
InCites provides tools to benchmark contributions, assess potential collaborators and demonstrate research impact. These capabilities support effective strategic planning, informed resource allocation and building impactful research networks, ensuring that users remain adaptive and competitive in a rapidly evolving research landscape.
Research is evolving at an unprecedented pace. The integration of emerging topics into InCites gives you the tools to navigate this dynamic landscape effectively.
Learn more about InCites or log in to start using emerging topics to advance your research today.
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