The Emerging Topics research area schema in InCites™ enables users to explore and benchmark the latest research trends through a structured, data-driven approach. This schema integrates data from the existing Research Horizon Navigator module, enhancing its capabilities by embedding over 10,000 emerging topics into the full suite of InCites analysis modules.
Emerging topics, updated monthly, provide a dynamic view of nascent and fast-evolving areas of research. This schema is designed for researchers, academic institutions, and policymakers who seek actionable insights into emerging fields and interdisciplinary research developments.
Methodology
Data Source
Emerging topics are generated using the last 5 years of data from the Web of Science Core Collection, incorporating:
- SCIE (Science Citation Index Expanded)
- SSCI (Social Science Citation Index)
- AHCI (Arts & Humanities Citation Index)
- ESCI (Emerging Sources Citation Index)
- CPCI (Conference Proceedings Citation Index)
This diverse dataset covers a range of publication types, including articles, reviews, and conference proceedings, and ensures comprehensive coverage across scientific, social and humanities disciplines.
Hierarchical Structure
The Emerging Topics schema features a two-tiered hierarchical classification:
- Micro Level: Over 10,000 emerging topics are identified algorithmically through co-citation analysis and clustered with the Leiden algorithm. These topics highlight interdisciplinary connections in emerging research. The detailed methodology for computing emerging topics, including the clustering techniques and metrics used, can be found in the Research Horizon Navigator documentation.
- Macro Level: Emerging topics are grouped into 25 broader Emerging Topic Categories using K-means clustering based on semantic relationships. Each category represents a major research domain, enabling comprehensive trend analysis.
Update Cycle
- Monthly Updates: The schema’s emerging topics are refreshed monthly to incorporate the latest research developments.
- Annual Updates: The macro-level categories are updated annually to reflect long-term shifts in research priorities.
Additional Capabilities
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Expandable Macro Categories:
The macro category level in InCites includes an option to expand each category, displaying the list of emerging topics belonging to that category. This feature provides the flexibility to explore individual topics while maintaining a high-level overview of broader research areas. -
Link to Detailed Emerging Topic Pages:
Clicking on the title of an emerging topic in InCites opens a detailed page in Research Horizon Navigator, showing comprehensive information about the topic. This includes core and co-citing papers, citation metrics, the interdisciplinarity index, author keywords, and top contributors.
Applications
- Trend Analysis: Track fast-evolving research areas to identify future breakthroughs.
- Strategic Decision-Making: Understand the shifting landscape of research and allocate resources to the most promising fields, whether for funding or collaboration.
- Benchmarking: Compare institutional contributions and assess research impact within emerging fields.
- Collaboration Opportunities: Identify potential collaborators and key opinion leaders in new and interdisciplinary research areas.
- Cross-Disciplinary Exploration: Discover intersections between disciplines to foster innovation.
Unveiling the research landscape
The topological map below illustrates how emerging topics intersect, demonstrating their interdisciplinary nature and dynamic evolution. Emerging research includes five important themes that highlight some of the most dynamic areas of growth.
1. AI, Digital & Computational Technologies
Artificial intelligence and computational technologies are rapidly reshaping research and industry through advances in machine learning, robotics, IoT, and intelligent systems. Researchers are applying AI to environmental modeling, engineering optimization, healthcare prediction, and autonomous systems, enabling smarter decision-making and increased efficiency. The convergence of AI with sensing technologies and cyber-physical systems highlights the growing importance of data-driven innovation across scientific and industrial domains.
2. Engineering, Materials & Energy
Research in engineering, advanced materials, and energy systems focuses on developing sustainable, high-performance technologies for future industries. Key areas include renewable energy optimization, fluid-thermal systems, photonic and electronic materials, catalysis, and next-generation sensing technologies. These innovations aim to improve energy efficiency, enable cleaner industrial processes, and support the transition toward resilient and sustainable infrastructure.
3. Environment, Climate & Sustainability
Environmental and sustainability research is expanding in response to climate change, ecological stress, and resource management challenges. Researchers are exploring sustainable agriculture, ecosystem resilience, environmental adaptation, and digital approaches to sustainability management. This work reflects a growing global emphasis on balancing economic development with environmental protection and long-term ecological stability.
4. Biomedical, Clinical & Life Sciences
Biomedical and life science research continues to advance through innovations in precision medicine, nanomedicine, microbiome studies, and disease therapeutics. Emerging work in cancer biology, infectious diseases, aging, mental health, and metabolic disorders is improving understanding of complex health conditions and enabling more personalized healthcare approaches. Integrating AI, molecular biology, and clinical research is accelerating breakthroughs in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
5. Social Sciences & Interdisciplinary Research
Social science and interdisciplinary research increasingly address complex societal challenges shaped by globalization, inequality, education, health, and technological change. Researchers are examining identity, sociopolitical transformation, and the societal impact of digital technologies while promoting cross-disciplinary approaches to problem-solving. These efforts highlight the growing need for integrated research frameworks that connect human behavior, policy, education, and innovation.
Appendix: list of Emerging Topic Categories (Jan 2026)
1. AI, Digital & Computational Technologies
- AI for environmental and engineering modeling
- AI for robotics, IoT and secure cyber-physical systems
- Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies
- Machine learning for medical imaging and prediction
- Nanomaterials and advanced sensing technologies
- Mathematical physics and dynamical systems
2. Engineering, Materials & Energy
- Advanced fluid-thermal and energy systems
- Advanced materials and photonic–electronic technologies
- Advanced materials and sustainable engineering
- Advanced materials for energy and environmental catalysis
- Smart renewable energy systems optimization
- Sustainable environmental remediation materials
3. Environment, Climate & Sustainability
- Biological adaptation and environmental stress
- Climate, ecosystems, and sustainable agriculture
- Global sustainability and digital transformation
4. Biomedical, Clinical & Life Sciences
- Bioactive natural compounds in food and health
- Biomaterials, nanomedicine, and drug delivery
- Cancer biology and precision therapeutics
- Comprehensive clinical medicine and surgery
- Global health, aging, and disease
- Infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance
- Mental health and social determinants
- Microbiome, inflammation, and metabolic disease mechanisms
5. Social Sciences & Interdisciplinary Research
- Global inequality, identity, and sociopolitical change
- Interdisciplinary education, health, and research methods
FAQ
1. Can documents belong to multiple emerging topics?
Yes, individual documents may be assigned to multiple emerging topics if they are relevant to different areas. However, each emerging topic is assigned to only one macro category.
2. Is the topological map visualization available in InCites or Research Horizon Navigator?
No, the topological map visualization is currently not available in either Research Horizon Navigator or InCites. We are considering integrating this feature in future updates.
3. Where can I find the Interdisciplinarity Index?
The Interdisciplinarity Index is exclusively available in the Research Horizon Navigator module and is not part of the InCites Emerging Topics schema.
4. Can I track emerging topics over time?
Currently, tracking emerging topics over time presents certain challenges due to the dynamic nature of topic updates.
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Title Stability: To minimize title changes across monthly updates, we apply a heuristic based on the top-cited article in the emerging topic. While this helps maintain consistent titles, it is not entirely accurate because:
- The top-cited article may change over time as citation patterns evolve.
- A single top-cited article may appear in multiple different emerging topics, leading to duplicate titles.
- Emerging Topic IDs: The ID in the URL of an emerging topic’s detailed page cannot be used to track the topic over time, as these IDs are regenerated with each monthly update. There is no guarantee that the same emerging topic will retain the same ID across updates.
We are actively exploring improvements to enhance topic tracking over time.