Research Hotspots and Frontier Trends of ESG Information Disclosure in China: A Visual Analysis Based on CiteSpace

This study employs bibliometric methods to systematically analyze the research progress of ESG information disclosure in China from 2006 to 2025 using core journal literature from the CNKI database. Visual knowledge maps of publication trends, co-cited literature, core authors, institutional collaboration networks, research hotspots, and frontier trends are constructed using CiteSpace 6.2.6 software. The findings reveal that ESG information disclosure research in China has experienced a staged growth of “exploration-development-outbreak.” The research scholars exhibit a “small core-large periphery” structure, characterized by scattered cooperation and collaboration barriers. Universities dominate the research landscape, but cross-institutional and industry-university collaborations are significantly insufficient. Research hotspots revolve around the core hub of “information disclosure,” forming clusters such as social responsibility, corporate value, and green innovation. The research trajectory reflects a cycle of “policy guidance-practice trial-theory iteration.” The research frontier focuses on green technology innovation and digital governance under the dual carbon goals, expanding the research perspective from individual enterprises to industrial ecosystems and institutional environments. This study aims to provide a systematic cognitive framework for the ESG information disclosure field and offer theoretical references for enterprises to optimize disclosure strategies and regulators to improve policies.