AI-Mediated communication as a trend and new developments in politeness studies (1995-2024) through scientometric analysis

Abstract

Abstract Over the past three decades, the field of politeness studies has undergone significant growth and theoretical refinement. Despite this expansion, a comprehensive overview that maps the evolution of politeness studies remains limited. This study aims to visualise the emerging trends and new developments in politeness studies, identify thematic shifts, highlight key contributors, and outline evidence-based directions for future research. Using a scientometric approach, 8,574 publications from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, from 1995 to 2024, were analysed through the CiteSpace 6.3 R3 Advanced version. Co-citation, keyword co-occurrence, author country, and institution network analyses were conducted to uncover influential trends and emerging hotspots. Results show that publication output increased roughly tenfold from 1995 to 2024, with 2024 marking the peak. Seven distinct co-citation clusters were identified (Q = 0.803; average silhouette = 0.94), encompassing classical theories like “Politeness Theory” and “Relational Work,” as well as newer trends in “Digital Communication”, “Social Media”, and “Computational Linguistics”. The United States and the United Kingdom remain central contributors, while recent citation bursts in China, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia indicate growing global participation. Thematic shifts include a transition from face-threatening acts to directive speech acts and AI-mediated communication interactions, with notable influence from scholars such as Culpeper, Leech, Bousfield, Kádár, Haugh, Mills, Eelen, and Locher. These findings offer a data-driven roadmap for future research, emphasising underexplored areas such as cross-cultural/comparative pragmatics and computational (NLP-based) approaches. The study supports scholars and practitioners in navigating the complex and evolving landscape of politeness in digital and intercultural contexts.