Research Breakout Radar
A weekly screen of research topics showing persistent publication growth and acceleration relative to their fields.
Topics scanned4,516
Eligible topics3,247
Published candidates50
On the beat
The same screen, run only over social sciences, computer science and energy — the subjects this site is about. Where research is heating up on work, money, cities and the machines.
| Rank | Research topic | Core articles | Current growth | Previous growth | Acceleration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Media in Health EducationHealth · Social Sciences | 757 | +28.7% | +9.4% | +19.4% |
| 2 | Public Policy and Administration Research⚑Public Administration · Social Sciences | 653 | +28.3% | +6.7% | +21.6% |
| 3 | Higher Education Governance and Development⚑Political Science and International Relations · Social Sciences | 652 | +47.8% | +5.8% | +42.0% |
| 4 | Digital Media Forensic Detection⚑Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition · Computer Science | 416 | +24.6% | +8.0% | +16.5% |
| 5 | Gender, Feminism, and Media⚑Gender Studies · Social Sciences | 392 | +36.6% | +8.1% | +28.5% |
| 6 | Disaster Management and Resilience⚑Sociology and Political Science · Social Sciences | 1,375 | +32.5% | +6.9% | +25.6% |
| 7 | Information Systems Theories and Implementation⚑Sociology and Political Science · Social Sciences | 180 | +200.0% | +62.3% | +137.7% |
| 8 | Innovation and Knowledge ManagementStrategy and Management · Business, Management and Accounting | 974 | +42.4% | +3.3% | +39.1% |
| 9 | Job Satisfaction and Organizational BehaviorOrganizational Behavior and Human Resource Management · Business, Management and Accounting | 1,913 | +25.2% | +8.0% | +17.2% |
| 10 | Risk and Safety AnalysisStatistics, Probability and Uncertainty · Decision Sciences | 455 | +32.7% | +17.7% | +15.0% |
| 11 | Healthcare Decision-Making and RestraintsClinical Psychology · Psychology | 301 | +25.4% | +2.6% | +22.8% |
| 12 | Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies⚑Clinical Psychology · Psychology | 248 | +26.5% | +6.7% | +19.9% |
| 13 | Digital literacy in education⚑Information Systems · Computer Science | 393 | +52.3% | +17.5% | +34.9% |
| 14 | Information Technology Governance and Strategy⚑Management Information Systems · Business, Management and Accounting | 229 | +126.7% | +53.7% | +73.0% |
| 15 | Impact of Technology on Adolescents⚑Sociology and Political Science · Social Sciences | 1,736 | +32.2% | +16.4% | +15.8% |
All of science
| Rank | Research topic | Core articles | Current growth | Previous growth | Acceleration | Weeks in top 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1New | Antibiotic Resistance in BacteriaMolecular Medicine · Life Sciences | 2,735 | +26.0% | +12.7% | +13.3% | 1 |
| 2New | Asthma and respiratory diseasesPhysiology · Health Sciences | 2,121 | +31.2% | +5.6% | +25.7% | 1 |
| 3New | Renal Diseases and GlomerulopathiesNephrology · Health Sciences | 1,561 | +52.7% | +9.1% | +43.6% | 1 |
| 4No change | Advancements in Transdermal Drug DeliveryPharmaceutical Science · Life Sciences | 1,341 | +17.5% | +3.1% | +14.4% | 11 |
| 5↑ 43 | Ultrasonics and Acoustic Wave PropagationMechanics of Materials · Physical Sciences | 1,321 | +40.5% | +4.7% | +35.8% | 2 |
| 6New | Climate Change and Health ImpactsHealth, Toxicology and Mutagenesis · Physical Sciences | 1,148 | +31.5% | +10.8% | +20.7% | 1 |
| 7New | Interstitial Lung Diseases and Idiopathic Pulmonary FibrosisPulmonary and Respiratory Medicine · Health Sciences | 1,809 | +72.3% | +16.2% | +56.1% | 1 |
| 8New | Central Venous Catheters and HemodialysisEmergency Medical Services · Health Sciences | 1,094 | +30.2% | +0.3% | +30.0% | 1 |
| 9New | Metabolism and Genetic DisordersClinical Biochemistry · Life Sciences | 904 | +48.9% | +1.3% | +47.6% | 1 |
| 10New | Social Media in Health EducationHealth · Social Sciences | 757 | +28.7% | +9.4% | +19.4% | 1 |
| 11New | Groundwater and Isotope GeochemistryGeochemistry and Petrology · Physical Sciences | 701 | +27.2% | +16.1% | +11.1% | 1 |
| 12New | Public Policy and Administration Research⚑Public Administration · Social Sciences | 653 | +28.3% | +6.7% | +21.6% | 1 |
| 13New | Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderPsychiatry and Mental health · Health Sciences | 1,003 | +28.9% | +8.2% | +20.7% | 1 |
| 14New | Allergic Rhinitis and SensitizationImmunology and Allergy · Health Sciences | 593 | +25.6% | +20.1% | +5.5% | 1 |
| 15New | Colorectal Cancer Screening and DetectionOncology · Health Sciences | 1,867 | +31.1% | +10.7% | +20.4% | 1 |
| 16New | Non-Destructive Testing TechniquesMechanical Engineering · Physical Sciences | 605 | +58.0% | +8.7% | +49.2% | 1 |
| 17↓ 1 | Appendicitis Diagnosis and ManagementEmergency Medicine · Health Sciences | 522 | +46.2% | +1.0% | +45.2% | 4 |
| 18New | Analytic Number Theory Research⚑Algebra and Number Theory · Physical Sciences | 487 | +27.2% | +5.2% | +21.9% | 1 |
| 19New | Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology ResearchOncology · Health Sciences | 2,307 | +26.5% | +0.8% | +25.7% | 1 |
| 20New | Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) ResearchPulmonary and Respiratory Medicine · Health Sciences | 2,306 | +48.5% | +9.8% | +38.7% | 1 |
| 21New | Industrial Vision Systems and Defect DetectionIndustrial and Manufacturing Engineering · Physical Sciences | 1,461 | +26.8% | +19.0% | +7.9% | 1 |
| 22New | Irrigation Practices and Water ManagementSoil Science · Life Sciences | 797 | +22.6% | +0.5% | +22.1% | 1 |
| 23New | Climate change and permafrostAtmospheric Science · Physical Sciences | 392 | +28.5% | +10.5% | +18.0% | 1 |
| 24New | Cardiac pacing and defibrillation studiesCardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine · Health Sciences | 1,903 | +30.5% | +5.6% | +24.9% | 1 |
| 25New | Higher Education Governance and Development⚑Political Science and International Relations · Social Sciences | 652 | +47.8% | +5.8% | +42.0% | 1 |
| 26New | Olfactory and Sensory Function StudiesSensory Systems · Life Sciences | 337 | +20.4% | +1.3% | +19.0% | 1 |
| 27New | Multiple Sclerosis Research StudiesPathology and Forensic Medicine · Health Sciences | 2,281 | +17.8% | +2.6% | +15.2% | 1 |
| 28New | Organ Donation and TransplantationPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational Health · Health Sciences | 923 | +29.5% | +12.8% | +16.7% | 1 |
| 29New | Neurobiology of Language and BilingualismCognitive Neuroscience · Life Sciences | 657 | +19.5% | +4.7% | +14.7% | 1 |
| 30New | Microplastics and Plastic PollutionPollution · Physical Sciences | 3,919 | +16.5% | +9.9% | +6.6% | 1 |
| 31New | Animal testing and alternativesSmall Animals · Health Sciences | 310 | +32.5% | +0.6% | +31.8% | 1 |
| 32New | Climate change impacts on agricultureEcology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics · Life Sciences | 1,090 | +31.3% | +13.6% | +17.8% | 5 |
| 33New | Pharmacology and Obesity TreatmentPharmacology · Health Sciences | 603 | +37.4% | +17.4% | +19.9% | 1 |
| 34New | Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen RemovalPollution · Physical Sciences | 1,371 | +14.2% | +2.2% | +11.9% | 1 |
| 35New | Natural Fiber Reinforced CompositesPolymers and Plastics · Physical Sciences | 1,404 | +17.9% | +3.1% | +14.8% | 1 |
| 36New | Heart Failure Treatment and ManagementCardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine · Health Sciences | 2,615 | +35.2% | +14.9% | +20.3% | 1 |
| 37New | Ethics in medical practiceGeneral Health Professions · Health Sciences | 368 | +54.0% | +7.9% | +46.1% | 1 |
| 38New | Digital Media Forensic Detection⚑Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition · Physical Sciences | 416 | +24.6% | +8.0% | +16.5% | 1 |
| 39New | Gender, Feminism, and Media⚑Gender Studies · Social Sciences | 392 | +36.6% | +8.1% | +28.5% | 1 |
| 40New | Magnetic Properties and ApplicationsElectronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials · Physical Sciences | 366 | +24.9% | +3.9% | +21.0% | 1 |
| 41New | Archaeology and ancient environmental studiesPaleontology · Physical Sciences | 694 | +25.7% | +6.5% | +19.2% | 1 |
| 42New | Disaster Management and Resilience⚑Sociology and Political Science · Social Sciences | 1,375 | +32.5% | +6.9% | +25.6% | 1 |
| 43New | Neuroblastoma Research and TreatmentsNeurology · Health Sciences | 308 | +31.6% | +1.1% | +30.5% | 1 |
| 44New | Autopsy Techniques and OutcomesRadiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging · Health Sciences | 289 | +51.3% | +14.2% | +37.1% | 1 |
| 45New | Viral Infections and VectorsInfectious Diseases · Health Sciences | 581 | +53.3% | 0.0% | +53.3% | 1 |
| 46New | Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: Diagnosis and TreatmentGenetics · Health Sciences | 471 | +22.3% | +12.5% | +9.8% | 1 |
| 47New | Pleural and Pulmonary DiseasesPulmonary and Respiratory Medicine · Health Sciences | 640 | +56.1% | +16.2% | +39.9% | 1 |
| 48New | Neonatal Respiratory Health ResearchPulmonary and Respiratory Medicine · Health Sciences | 784 | +46.3% | +8.2% | +38.0% | 1 |
| 49New | Model Reduction and Neural NetworksStatistical and Nonlinear Physics · Physical Sciences | 2,180 | +46.5% | +30.6% | +15.9% | 1 |
| 50New | Dental Radiography and ImagingOral Surgery · Health Sciences | 916 | +16.5% | +16.5% | +0.1% | 3 |
How to read it
Current and previous growth compare matched 180-day publication windows with the same periods one year earlier. Acceleration is the difference between those growth rates. Rank movement and persistence compare weekly snapshots. The screen identifies publication momentum, not research quality, importance, commercial promise, or a forecast.
Methodology
Screens all OpenAlex topics using primary-topic journal articles from CWTS Core sources. Eligible topics must satisfy minimum counts across four matched 180-day windows, show positive year-over-year growth in both comparisons, have at least 100 articles and 10% growth in the current window, and rank at or above the 80th percentile for growth and 70th percentile for acceleration within their subfield plus the 25th percentile for global volume. The displayed order is 55% subfield growth rank, 30% subfield acceleration rank, and 15% global volume rank. The homepage compares current and previous year-over-year growth for the first ten candidates; the full page publishes fifty candidates and review warnings. Rank changes and persistence derive from prior weekly snapshots. Publication momentum is not research quality, importance, commercial promise, or a forecast. OpenAlex indexing, Core-source coverage, and topic revisions can create false signals.