2. Methodology
For this study, the method of co-word analysis, with clustering and social network analysis, was chosen to obtain more
intuitive and comprehensive results. There were three important stages in this study:
(1) Identifying the research hotspots within the field of RecSys in China based on keyword frequency and associated coword
data.
(2) Conducting cluster analysis to identify research themes using co-word data (a cluster represents a large research theme);
and
(3) Using co-word network analysis to capture the current status and trends of research themes of RecSys in China.