Generative Artificial Intelligence Applications in Developing Research Support Services at Academic Libraries

Abstract

Nowadays, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is making a significant impact on research activities and library services. In order to identify the core dimensions of contemporary research on GenAI applications in developing Research Support Services (RSS) at academic libraries a bibliometric analysis of publications was conducted. Data were collected from the Web of Science database, comprising 362 articles published during the period 2016–2025. Together, the bibliometric analysis with Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer, Carrot2, and CiteSpace revealed publication trends, international collaborations, keyword co-occurrence, topic clustering, and temporal research evolution. Results indicate rapidly increasing publication output, particularly from 2023 onward, reflecting growing interest from the academic community. The USA, the UK, and India play central roles in the research collaboration network. Prominent themes focus on GenAI applications in intelligent reference services, chatbots, recommendation systems, knowledge discovery, research data management, and AI literacy training, alongside emerging issues such as ethics and data security. This study provides a scientific foundation for directing RSS development at academic libraries in the GenAI context.