Research dynamics: Measuring the continuity and popularity of research topics

•This paper uses topic continuity and popularity to examine topic dynamic characteristics.•Topics with rising popularity tend to be concentrating ones.•Topics with declining popularity tend to be diluting ones.•Web information retrieval, bibiliometrics, and health science are the most popular topics.•h-index, online communities, social media, and web analysis are emerging topics.

Dynamic development is an intrinsic characteristic of research topics. To study this, this paper proposes two sets of topic attributes to examine topic dynamic characteristics: topic continuity and topic popularity. Topic continuity comprises six attributes: steady, concentrating, diluting, sporadic, transforming, and emerging topics; topic popularity comprises three attributes: rising, declining, and fluctuating topics. These attributes are applied to a data set on library and information science publications during the past 11 years (2001–2011). Results show that topics on “web information retrieval”, “citation and bibliometrics”, “system and technology”, and “health science” have the highest average popularity; topics on “h-index”, “online communities”, “data preservation”, “social media”, and “web analysis” are increasingly becoming popular in library and information science.