Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) in Food Research: A Three-Decade Retrospective Bibliometric Network Analysis

The fMRI usage in food research has recently witnessed a distinct proliferation. In this article, bibliometric network techniques are applied to examine the conceptual/intellectual structure of this domain based on 363 Scopus documents written by 2079 authors representing 35 nations and spanning almost thirty years (1992–2020). The study aims to reveal impactful authors, influential journals, collaboration networks and emerging trends in the domain. Additionally, keyword co-occurrence techniques are employed to scrutinize the field’s major schools of thought. Results show that the most impactful journals publishing fMRI usage in food research are Neuroimage, Proceedings of the National American Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) and Neuroreport. Results also show that the author’s collaboration network in fMRI usage in food research is sparse. Furthermore, results related to collaborative networks between institutions and countries reveal a global “North-South” schism between developed and developing nations. Finally, the multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) applied to obtain the fMRI usage in the food research conceptual map reflects the depth and breadth of the field’s foci. Our analysis has far-reaching implications for aspiring researchers interested in fMRI usage in food research as the study retrospectively traces the evolution in research output over the last three decades, establishes linkages between the authors and articles, and reveals trending topics/hotspots within the broad theme of fMRI usage in food research.