A Bibliometric Analysis of GPS/GNSS Contributions to GIS

Abstract The integration of GPS/GNSS with GIS has become indispensable for modern geospatial applications, enabling real-time data collection, spatial analysis, and informed decision-making. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of 2956 research and review articles (1988-2025; data for 2025 is partial) retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS). Using the Bibliometrix R package, we conducted performance analyses and scientific mapping to evaluate publication trends, influential sources, and emerging themes. The results reveal a steady increase in publication volume (approximately 12% annual growth), indicating accelerating scholarly engagement. However, we also find that research contributions are globally widespread (124 countries in total) but highly uneven: approximately 64% of the 2956 articles include at least one U.S.-affiliated author, far outpacing the next closest contributors (China and India). Sustainability is the most prolific journal in this field by publication count, while Geomorphology leads in total citations (largely due to a 2012 photogrammetry paper with over 2700 citations). Thematic analysis shows “remote sensing” as the dominant keyword across the corpus, and recent years have seen a notable surge in AI-driven techniques (e.g., deep learning and machine learning). These patterns point to significant disparities in global geospatial research capacity, raising concerns about knowledge equity in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Overall, our findings underscore the need to build geospatial research capacity in underrepresented regions to promote more equitable knowledge production and application toward global sustainability objectives.