Analysing the Intellectual Structure of E-Service Research

Despite the importance that e-service is gaining among firms and public administrations, academic research on this topic is still in its infancy (Santos, 2003), and relatively little work has been carried out. Although prior analyses have examined the rise and fall of specific theories or research topics within the e-service research field (Rust & Lemon, 2001; Rust & Kannan, 2002; Javalgi et al., 2004; Scupola et al., 2009), they have rarely focused on fundamental questions such as: what types of articles have been influential in e-service research? Does the e-service research field have different subfields, and what is the relationship, if any, among them? The purpose of this study is to answer the above-mentioned questions by using a bibliometric approach. The analysis, by identifying relevant concepts and theories that have emerged in the field of e-service, may help interested researchers identify how they can contribute to the field of e-service – by adding and enriching emerging groups or acting as bridges across groups.