Knowledge mapping of research on strategic mineral resource security: A visual analysis using CiteSpace

The global demand for strategic mineral resources has surged because of technological developments, with the associated strategic mineral resource security (SMRS) issues attracting significant research attention, especially in China. To fully understand this research direction, 3722 research studies were extracted from the Web of Science (WoS) and China's National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). The knowledge was mapped from the extracted bibliographic records using CiteSpace to analyze the SMRS research status, the development course systematically, and potential research trends, from which it was found that: (1) from 1990 to 2015, SMRS research in the CNKI was more prevalent than in the WoS, and after 2015, the international interest in SMRS increased; (2) the discipline categories of WoS and CNKI have different but complementary emphases; (3) the CNKI research formed a multipoint cooperative network, whereas the WoS results formed a diamond-type cooperative network; and (4) the WoS and CNKI research hotspots were different but interrelated. Future research on SMRS should focus on assessing the availability of strategic mineral resources, sustainable strategic mineral supply from the perspective of the entire industry chain, and the construction of a strategic mineral resource trading network based on new global trade patterns. This study presents an in-depth analysis of strategic mineral resource security research to better understand global trends and directions in this field that have emerged over the past 20 years. 1. A scientometric analysis of strategic mineral resources security was performed. 2. Main research areas were identified with future research directions. 3. Collaboration networks in CNKI are multi-point types. 4. Collaboration networks in WoS are diamond-type.