Bibliometric analysis of the front-end of innovation

The research into the front end of innovation has increased substantially in the last decades. In spite of this, it seems that many studies lack alignment in terms of knowledge building, which results in disconnected lines of research. This fact indicates the need of addressing the state-of-the-art concerning the front-end of innovation research field, guiding new attempts towards the most important knowledge gaps. Currently, few attempts have been made to provide an overview of this field. This paper presents a bibliometric analysis conducted to describe the evolution of the knowledge structure of the front-end of innovation. It considers a sample of papers published from 1988 to 2014 and indexed in the Web of Science scientific. This sample is used to develop metrics regarding journal publications and investigate collaboration networks, clarifying opportunities for partnerships and supporting the formulation of research policies. As a result, this study provides useful information for new entrants assimilate the state-of-the-art of the front-end of innovation as well as for experts consolidate their view of the knowledge structure.