VOSviewer-Assisted Meta-Analysis
Also known as: bibliometric-enhanced meta-analysis, VOSviewer meta-analysis workflow, science-mapping assisted meta-analysis, network-visualisation meta-analysis
VOSviewer-assisted meta-analysis integrates the bibliometric network visualisation capabilities of VOSviewer into the literature identification and mapping phases of a standard meta-analysis. Before the statistical pooling of effect sizes begins, VOSviewer is used to visualise co-citation networks, keyword co-occurrence maps, and publication clusters, helping researchers comprehensively delineate the research field and identify all eligible primary studies for quantitative synthesis.
Read the full method
Sign in with a free account to read this section.
Method map
The neighbourhood of related methods — select a node to explore.
When to use it
Use VOSviewer-assisted meta-analysis when you are conducting a quantitative evidence synthesis in a broad or heterogeneous research field where a keyword search alone may miss important study clusters. It is particularly valuable when the research base spans multiple disciplines or nomenclatures and you need a systematic, visual audit of the literature before committing to an inclusion set. It requires access to large bibliographic databases with full record exports and a sample of primary studies reporting comparable quantitative outcomes. Do not use this workflow as a substitute for a full systematic search — the bibliometric maps supplement, not replace, the database search and PRISMA-compliant screening. Avoid it when the literature base is small and well-defined (fewer than ~200 records), where the added mapping step offers little benefit over direct screening.
Strengths & limitations
- Enhances recall by visually exposing literature clusters that keyword searches might miss, reducing the risk of selection bias.
- Provides a transparent, replicable audit trail of the intellectual structure of the field before statistical synthesis.
- Supports interdisciplinary meta-analyses by revealing how terminology and research streams differ across fields.
- The VOSviewer maps offer a compelling visual supplement to PRISMA flow diagrams, aiding reader comprehension.
- Freely available software (VOSviewer) requires no specialised licensing cost.
- VOSviewer maps are sensitive to the database used; Web of Science and Scopus produce different network structures, and grey literature is excluded.
- The bibliometric mapping phase adds time and expertise requirements to an already resource-intensive process.
- VOSviewer does not assist with statistical pooling — all effect-size computations require separate meta-analytic software (e.g., RevMan, R metafor).
- Co-citation and coupling networks reflect citation patterns, which may privilege older or high-impact papers and underrepresent recent or lower-citation work.
Frequently asked
Does VOSviewer replace the systematic database search in a meta-analysis?
No. VOSviewer maps the structure of a reference set you have already retrieved from databases. It is a supplementary tool for visualising and auditing coverage, not a search engine. A full PRISMA-compliant database search is still required.
Which VOSviewer map type is most useful for meta-analysis preparation?
Co-citation analysis and bibliographic coupling are most commonly used. Co-citation maps group papers that are frequently cited together, revealing intellectual clusters; bibliographic coupling groups papers sharing many references, identifying contemporaneous research streams. Keyword co-occurrence maps help verify that search terms cover the field's terminology.
Can I use VOSviewer data to decide which studies to pool statistically?
Not directly. VOSviewer cluster membership reflects citation similarity, not methodological comparability. Eligibility for statistical pooling must be determined by your pre-registered inclusion criteria applied during full-text screening, independent of bibliometric cluster assignment.
What software is used for the actual meta-analytic calculations?
Statistical pooling is performed in dedicated meta-analysis tools such as RevMan (Cochrane), the R package metafor or meta, Stata's metan command, or Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA). VOSviewer handles only the bibliometric network visualisation phase.
How should I report the VOSviewer step in a published meta-analysis?
Report the VOSviewer version, the database and date of export, the minimum document frequency thresholds, the normalisation method (association strength is default), and the resolution parameter used for clustering. Include the resulting network map as a figure and describe how it informed any refinements to search strategy or inclusion criteria.
Sources
- van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. DOI: 10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3 ↗
- Glass, G. V. (1976). Primary, secondary, and meta-analysis of research. Educational Researcher, 5(10), 3–8. DOI: 10.3102/0013189X005010003 ↗
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 3). VOSviewer-Assisted Meta-Analysis. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/scientometrics/vosviewer-assisted-meta-analysis
Which method?
Set this method beside its closest kin and read them side by side — the library lays the books on the table; the choice is yours.
- Bibliometric AnalysisScientometrics↔ compare
- Co-Citation AnalysisBibliometrics↔ compare
- PRISMA-based reviewScientometrics↔ compare
- Science MappingBibliometrics↔ compare
- Systematic Literature ReviewScientometrics↔ compare