Year: 2026
Type: article
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.
Source: Management System Engineering
Authors: Xiao Han, Rui Zhou, Rong Guo, Xiaoyu Yang, Zheng Liu
Institutions: Wuhan University of Technology, University of Greenwich
Language: English
Subfield: Human-Computer Interaction
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
Awards: G3271277199, G573590281, G6808795727
OpenAlex ID: W7162520577