Tree of Science 3: A citation-network framework for literature navigation and visual interpretation—A case study in entrepreneurial marketing

Objective. The proposal of Tree of Science 3 (ToS 3) involved the implementation of a citation-network framework designed to facilitate literature review navigation and visual interpretation through thematic organization, differentiated frontier analysis, and role-specific visualization. Design/Methodology/Approach. A comprehensive search of bibliographic records pertaining to the domain of entrepreneurial marketing was conducted using the Scopus and Web of Science databases. These records were then integrated through the use of BibFusion, a specialized software tool, and subsequently transformed into a directed citation network. The resulting network comprised 3,183 nodes and 12,481 edges, offering a comprehensive representation of the scholarly literature in this field. ToS 3 preserved SAP-based root and trunk identification, organized these layers into thematic subtopics, represented branches through core papers, and distinguished structural leaves from fruit candidates. Results/Discussion. The analysis identified 20 roots, 20 trunk papers, 50 selective SAP leaves, 121 structural leaves, 3 branches, and the 3 highest-ranked fruit candidates. Structural leaves were characterized by an absence of internal indegree and at least one internal outgoing citation. The results of the study indicated the presence of multiple intellectual foundations and consolidation pathways, the presence of differentiated recent thematic conversations, and the distinction of the broad internally connected frontier from recent papers receiving external attention but exhibiting limited local absorption. Conclusions. ToS 3 organizes citation-network evidence into focused reading groups for literature navigation and interpretation while preserving scholarly judgment and avoiding predictive claims. Originality/Value. The framework extends the original TOS by combining thematic organization of roots and trunk papers, core-paper branch representation, a broader structural leaf layer, and fruits as a selective external-attention signal.