A Deep Dive into OpenStreetMap Research Since its Inception (2008-2024): Contributors, Topics, and Future Trends

TL;DR

This paper provides a comprehensive bibliometric and systematic analysis of OpenStreetMap research from 2008 to 2024, highlighting its development, key themes, and future research directions in a multidisciplinary context.

Contribution

It offers the first large-scale bibliometric and systematic review of OSM research, identifying thematic shifts, collaboration patterns, and emerging trends to guide future studies.

Findings

Research publication growth has accelerated over time.

Themes have shifted from data quality to advanced applications.

Distinct research agendas exist between scholars and the OSM community.

Abstract

OpenStreetMap (OSM) has transitioned from a pioneering volunteered geographic information (VGI) project into a global, multi-disciplinary research nexus. This study presents a bibliometric and systematic analysis of the OSM research landscape, examining its development trajectory and key driving forces. By evaluating 1,926 publications from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection and 782 State of the Map (SotM) presentations up to June 2024, we quantify publication growth, collaboration patterns, and thematic evolution. Results demonstrate simultaneous consolidation and diversification within the field. While a stable core of contributors continues to anchor OSM research, themes have shifted from initial concerns over data production and quality toward advanced analytical and applied uses. Comparative analysis of OSM-related research in WoS and SotM reveals distinct but complementary agendas between scholars and the OSM community. Building on these findings, we identify six emerging research directions and discuss how evolving partnerships among academia, the OSM community, and industry are poised to shape the future of OSM research. This study establishes a structured reference for understanding the state of OSM studies and offers strategic pathways for navigating its future trajectory.The data and code are available at https://github.com/ya0-sun/OSMbib.