Mapping Research Topics in Software Testing: A Bibliometric Analysis

In this study, we apply co-word analysis - a text mining technique based on the co-occurrence of terms - to map the topology of software testing research topics, with the goal of providing current and prospective researchers with a map, and observations about the evolution, of the software testing field. Our analysis enables the mapping of software testing research into clusters of connected topics, from which emerge a total of 16 high-level research themes and a further 18 subthemes. This map also suggests topics that are growing in importance, including topics related to web and mobile applications and artificial intelligence. Exploration of author and country-based collaboration patterns offers similar insight into the implicit and explicit factors that influence collaboration and suggests emerging sources of collaboration for future work. We make our observations - and the underlying mapping of research topics and research collaborations - available so that researchers can gain a deeper understanding of the topology of the software testing field, inspiration regarding new areas and connections to explore, and collaborators who will broaden their perspectives.