What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to map the evolving knowledge structure of intangible cultural heritage research.

March 14, 2026npj Heritage Science0 citationsOpen Access

Exploring the evolution of global trends and knowledge structure in intangible cultural heritage: insights from topic modeling

QHQing HanZhejiang Chinese Medical University

Key Points

The aim is to map the evolving knowledge structure of intangible cultural heritage research.
Applied Structural Topic Modeling to publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection.
Identified eight latent topics related to intangible cultural heritage.
Synthesized topics into three thematic domains.
Revealed shifts in scholarly priorities towards technology, sustainability, and spatial governance.
Provided a structured overview of recent developments in intangible cultural heritage research.

Abstract

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) research is increasingly interdisciplinary, yet its evolving knowledge structure remains insufficiently mapped. This study applies Structural Topic Modeling to ICH-labelled publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection. Eight latent topics are identified and synthesized into three thematic domains, revealing shifting scholarly priorities across technology, sustainability, and spatial governance within ICH-labelled research. The findings provide a structured overview of recent developments in this field.

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