Electronic Word of Mouth and Sustainability: A Bibliometric Approach

Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) is a type of human-computer interaction that comprises simple, two-way communication, disseminating information about companies, brands, and products through digital spaces. Given the significant interest in eWOM, various extant studies have sought to structure this field of study through a bibliometric approach. As the literature on eWOM has continued to grow, bibliometric studies on eWOM have begun to be specialized. Following this line of work, the present bibliometric study seeks to unravel eWOM’s structure as it applies to sustainability, a topic of great current importance. Using the Scopus database, 1,968 documents were identified. Descriptive and productivity analyses characterize the field of eWOM and sustainability as a rapidly growing and multidisciplinary field, in which China and the United States stand out in the literature. Science mapping analyses have identified four clusters of terms associated with research lines: 1) human behavior in eWOM, 2) social aspects of eWOM and sustainability, 3) eWOM’s impact on sustainability and tourism, and 4) eWOM’s technological aspects and measurement. The overlay visualization of term analysis reveals an evolution in research interest, progressing from technological aspects, through economic and behavioral aspects, to the current emphasis on sustainability and tourism. Finally, this study discusses these results’ implications for theory and practice.