Global Trends in COPD Self-Management Research: A Dual-Perspective Bibliometric Analysis (January 2005–July 2025)

Xingyu Huang,* Jiacai Feng,* Xiaoting Gan,* Rongqing Wu,* Cui Su,* Luxiong Zheng,* Renli Deng* Nursing Department, The Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Renli Deng, Nursing Department, The Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, No. 149, Dalian Road, Huichuan District, Zunyi, Guizhou, 563000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13985616078, Email [email protected]: We looked at research articles published from January 2005 to July 1, 2025. We focused on global trends and key research topics in COPD self-management.Patients and Methods: We searched the Web of Science database thoroughly using the keywords “COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)” and “self-management”. Most previous meta-analyses and systematic reviews focused only on mediating effects. This study is different. We use a dual-perspective bibliometric method. Apply CiteSpace for co-citation network analysis, and VOSviewer for collaborative structure mapping. This study will look into how regional research affects self-management practices for COPD. It will closely explore the main gaps in the academic community.Results: We reviewed roughly 426 papers and observed that this research area has expanded consistently, peaking between 2020 and 2021. Keyword co-occurrence analysis shows a research framework focused on “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” and “self-management” We statistically reviewed main author groups and identified 76 prolific researchers with consistent relevant outputs. This number aligns with the field’s growing research interest in recent years. Geographically, European and Australian teams prioritize research quality—their work is methodologically rigorous and clinically useful. US, UK and Dutch institutions have more publications and greater academic influence.Conclusion: Over the past two decades, the field of COPD self-management has made significant progress. This is due to the long-term work of core authors and the collaboration between top research institutions. This study gives key information to optimize COPD self-management strategies, and points out key areas for future research.Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, self-management, bibliometrics, research trends, global collaboration