Unveiling Research Trends in Semantic Modality: A Bibliometric Analysis (2005–2024)

Semantic modality, a core notion in linguistics, pertains to how language expresses meanings associated with possibility, necessity, and capability. In the last 20 years, research on semantic modality has significantly expanded, highlighting its interdisciplinary importance in linguistics, cognitive science, and computational technology. This study utilizes bibliometric analysis to examine trends, topic focusses, and significant contributions in semantic modality research from 2005 to 2024. A total of 3,025 articles obtained from the Scopus database were examined utilizing applications such as VOSviewer and Biblioshiny. The results indicate a significant rise in publications, especially post-2016, propelled by progress in natural language processing (NLP), deep learning, and multimodal technologies. Thematic mapping revealed “Human” and “Semantics” as essential themes in the research, emphasizing the amalgamation of language theories with cognitive and computational applications. Furthermore, terms like “multi-modal” and “cross-modal” highlight the increasing interest in multimodal interactions, which include text, visual, and auditory data. This study highlights the necessity for more regional and linguistic representation to improve cultural and linguistic variety, notwithstanding the dominance of China and the United States in the research environment. Significant problems were observed, including biases in datasets and deficiencies in the effective integration of cross-media modalities. This study offers an in-depth analysis of the progression of semantic modality research and presents essential recommendations for subsequent investigations. It emphasizes the necessity of diversifying datasets, enhancing interdisciplinary cooperation, and utilizing advanced AI models like GPT-4 and CLIP to enrich semantic comprehension across many cultural contexts.