Quantitative analysis of the publication trends in four decades of SERVQUAL research: a bibliometric approach

SERVQUAL is a critical paradigm for evaluating and maintaining service quality in a variety of service contexts and cultures. The purpose of this study is to map the SERVQUAL literature based on the Scopus and Web of Science databases using the Bibliometrix R Package. This analysis includes 2397 scientific publications on SERVQUAL and those spread between 1990 and 2022. The analysis focused the general bibliometric characteristics and trending topics: three-fourths were published between 2009 and 2022, the United States was the leading country along with some smaller countries like Iran and Malaysia, top fifteen journals published 16% of total publications, service quality and customer satisfaction are prominent topics along with SERVQUAL, country-specific studies gained momentum and researchers focused on various topics in different periods. This first study on SERVQUAL's scientific output may help researchers and decision makers find relevant topics and application areas.