Applying an automatic approach for showing up the hidden themes in financial marketing research (1961-2010)

This paper analyses the academic research conducted in financial marketing from 1961 to 2010. To do so, an automatic approach for detecting and visualising the hidden themes is applied. This automatic approach, based on co-word analysis, combines performance analysis and science mapping. It permits visualising the division of the financial marketing research (FMR) into several subfields, and indicate the relationships between them. These outcomes are completed with a systematic review, where a content analysis is used to explore the type of methodologies and topics most frequently used. The results allow us to identifying trends that will presumably be developed in FMR in coming years. In addition, these results also help both experts and novices to understand the current state of the art of FMR and to predict where future research could lead. 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.