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A comprehensive bibliometrics of ‘walkability’ research landscape: visualization of the scientific progress and future prospects

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Abstract

This study quantitatively investigated the scientific progress of walkability research landscape and its future prospects using bibliometric indicators to highlight the research hotspots. The results accentuated multifaceted nature of walkability research landscape with a strong association towards public health disciplines. Keyword co-occurrence analysis emphasized that majority of the walkability studies centred on the interactions between walking and other three main factors such as built environment attributes, transportation and obesity. Based on the identified research hotspots, a brief state-of-the-art review of walkability studies was presented. Future prospects based on the unexplored research gaps within the hotspots were also discussed. High correlation (r = 0.99, p < 0.05) between annual publications and citation counts demonstrated the significance of walkability studies to the contemporary scientific community. Being one of the comprehensive studies to evaluate the historic trajectory of walkability research landscape, the findings were expected to accelerate a comprehensive understanding of the walkability research domain that will assist future research direction.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from University of Malaysia Living Lab Research Grant (LL038-18SUS) and University of Malaya Partnership Grant (RK003–2017) for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Logaraj Ramakreshnan, Nasrin Aghamohammadi & Chng Saun Fong

  2. Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Logaraj Ramakreshnan & Chng Saun Fong

  3. Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Nasrin Aghamohammadi

  4. Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Nik Meriam Sulaiman

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  1. Logaraj Ramakreshnan
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  2. Nasrin Aghamohammadi
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  3. Chng Saun Fong
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  4. Nik Meriam Sulaiman
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Contributions

Logaraj Ramakreshnan: Conceptualization, methodology, investigation, preparation of original draft, review and editing. Chng Saun Fong: Conceptualization, methodology, investigation and review. Nik Meriam Sulaiman: Conceptualization, methodology and review. Nasrin Aghamohammadi: Funding acquisition, conceptualization, methodology, writing, review and supervision.

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Correspondence to Nasrin Aghamohammadi.

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Ramakreshnan, L., Aghamohammadi, N., Fong, C.S. et al. A comprehensive bibliometrics of ‘walkability’ research landscape: visualization of the scientific progress and future prospects. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 1357–1369 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11305-x

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