Systematic review: a scientometric analysis of the status, trends and challenges in the application of digital technology to cultural heritage conservation (2019–2024)

Abstract Since 2019, the application of digital technology (DT) in cultural heritage conservation (CHC) has transitioned through various phases: from structural prediction and maintenance, to parametric modeling workflows, to collaborative heritage management and assessment, and finally to the integration of technologies and new applications across interdisciplinary fields. What development trends can be observed in the application of DT to CHC in recent years? What difficulties and challenges does it face? Recent studies have primarily focused on technology-driven approaches, but there is a lack of systematic reviews on the current state of research, application progress, and development trends. This paper addresses these research gaps by utilizing bibliometric techniques, including trend analysis through yearly publication and citation line graphs, mapping with visual tools, subject categorization and distribution statistics, co-authorship and keyword-based biclustering, keyword frequency analysis, thematic co-occurrence networks, and content analysis of key articles. A scientometric analysis, conducted using COOC 6.725 and VOS Viewer, applied a Boolean search strategy to filter 345 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection, covering the period from 2019 to 2024. The document types analyzed include articles, reviews, and conference proceedings, all in the English language. The objectives of this paper are to: (1) summarize progressive research trends; (2) analyze interdisciplinary integration; (3) map out author collaboration networks; (4) explore the application potential of DT; (5) reveal cutting-edge topics; and (6) investigate focal issues. Lastly, this paper discusses ethical and social responsibility concerns in DT applications, particularly the challenges related to technology accessibility and data protection. With the rapid development of AI and DT, DT is expected to demonstrate even greater potential and value in CHC.