  This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature
related to chatbots, focusing specifically on ChatGPT. Chatbots have gained
increasing attention recently, with an annual growth rate of 19.16% and 27.19%
on the Web of Sciences (WoS) and Scopus, respectively. In this study, we have
explored the structure, conceptual evolution, and trends in this field by
analyzing data from both Scopus and WoS databases. The research consists of two
study phases: (i) an analysis of chatbot literature and (ii) a comprehensive
review of scientific documents on ChatGPT. In the first phase, a bibliometric
analysis is conducted on all published literature, including articles, book
chapters, conference papers, and reviews on chatbots from both Scopus (5839)
and WoS (2531) databases covering the period from 1998 to 2023. An in-depth
analysis focusing on sources, countries, authors' impact, and keywords has
revealed that ChatGPT is the latest trend in the chatbot field. Consequently,
in the second phase, bibliometric analysis has been carried out on ChatGPT
publications, and 45 published studies have been analyzed thoroughly based on
their methods, novelty, and conclusions. The key areas of interest identified
from the study can be classified into three groups: artificial intelligence and
related technologies, design and evaluation of conversational agents, and
digital technologies and mental health. Overall, the study aims to provide
guidelines for researchers to conduct their research more effectively in the
field of chatbots and specifically highlight significant areas for future
investigation into ChatGPT.
