Han, Xiao, Zhou, Rui, Guo, Rong, Yang, Xiaoyu and Liu, Zheng ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7240-3501 (2026) The current status and future prospects of the Metaverse: a bibliometric analysis. Management System Engineering, 5 (10). ISSN 2731-5843 (Online) (doi:10.1007/s44176-026-00068-3)

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Abstract

The Metaverse is emerging as an important component of the evolving digital economy, yet existing research remains fragmented and lacks cross-cultural comparison. This study employs bibliometric analysis and a systematic literature review to compare research trends using data from the Web of Science (WOS) and CSSCI databases. The findings reveal distinct trajectories: research published in international journals emerged earlier and evolved from virtual worlds to mixed reality and AI, whereas Chinese-language research gained momentum later and has focused primarily on blockchain, digital twins, and policy-oriented applications. To integrate these perspectives, this paper constructs a theoretical framework based on the Input-Process-Output (IPO) model. The framework maps technological and policy drivers as inputs, the five-layer Metaverse architecture as the process mechanism, and multidimensional societal impacts as outputs. Finally, the paper proposes future research directions to guide the field’s development.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	metaverse, digital economy, bibliometrics, I-P-O model, metaverse governance
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Greenwich Business School Greenwich Business School > Networks and Urban Systems Centre (NUSC) Greenwich Business School > School of Business, Operations and Strategy
Last Modified:	28 May 2026 16:07
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/53609

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