Abstract:

This study systematically analyzes the evolutionary characteristics and research hotspots of open- source innovation in China. A dataset comprising 732 valid journal articles, with “open-source” in the title, was retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for the period 2005–2024. A bibliometric approach was employed to examine such dimensions as annual publication volume, disciplinary distribution, keyword co-occurrence and clustering, burst keywords, and timeline evolution. The results indicate that research in this field has progressed through three stages, initial exploration, steady development, and rapid growth, with a significant surge in publications over the past five years. Disciplinary distribution analysis reveals a multidisciplinary landscape centered on library and information science, computer science, and industrial technology, which extends to fields such as education, management, and law. Keyword clustering analysis identifies nine core research areas, accompanied by a review of the representative literature within each cluster. Timeline evolution analysis suggests that future research will likely focus on the deep integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and open-source ecosystems, the evolution of collaboration and governance models in open-source communities, open-source software security and supply chain risk identification, and open-source law and intellectual property protection. On the basis of these findings, we propose several recommendations to foster the sustainable development of open-source innovation in China, including strengthening the synergistic governance of AI and open-source ecosystems, enhancing supply chain security systems, advancing innovations in legal and licensing frameworks, and constructing a digital open-source infrastructure oriented toward industrial and public services.

Key words: open source innovation, bibliometric analysis, CiteSpace, open source governance, research hotspots