Understanding the evolution of epistemic emotions research: a bibliometric review from 2005 to 2024

Epistemic emotions play a central role in fostering cognitive engagement and knowledge construction. Although research on epistemic emotions has expanded considerably over the past two decades, a comprehensive synthesis of the field's intellectual structure, thematic development, and emerging researchdirections has been lacking.

This study addresses this gap through a bibliometric analysis of 185 publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science between 2005 and 2024 using Biblioshiny in R. The analysis examined publication trends, influential authors, journals, institutions, countries, collaboration networks, and thematic evolution to provide a comprehensive overview of the field.

The findings reveal sustained growth in scholarly output, particularly after 2016, reflecting the increasing recognition of epistemic emotions within educational psychology, cognitive science, and related disciplines. Thematic analysis indicates a strong theoretical foundation centered on achievement emotions, Control-Value Theory, and knowledge construction, alongside growing methodological innovation through affective computing and emotion recognition technologies.

This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the intellectual development of epistemic emotions research and identifies strategic priorities for future research, including greater theoretical integration, methodological innovation, cross-cultural investigations, and technology-enhanced learning applications.