Citation and co-citation analysis to identify core and emerging knowledge in electronic commerce research

The purpose of this paper is to explore the core and emerging knowledge of electronic commerce (e-commerce) research. Data was collected from the top six e-commerce journals from 2006–2010. A total of 1,064 electronic commerce related articles and 33,173 references were identified. There were 48 high value research articles identified using a citation and co-citation analysis. Using statistical analysis including factor analysis, multidimensional scaling, and cluster analysis, we identified five research areas: trust, technology acceptance and technology application, e-commerce task-related application, e-markets, and identity and evaluation. We also identified emerging core knowledge, information systems success. The findings of this study provide core knowledge and directions for researchers and practitioners interested in the electronic commerce field.