Quantitative evaluation of the production and trends in research applying the structural equation modelling method

There are various statistical methods serving to analyse data and test hypotheses. The structural equation modelling method is nonetheless one of the most widespread as it allows to estimate complex causal relationships between different variables. Moreover, has been greatly promoted since the emergence of new information and communication technologies. This paper presents a quantitative study of the performance and evolution of research applying structural equation modelling in Social Sciences. SciMAT software has served for the bibliometric analysis. The results indicate that the thematic areas revealing the greatest relevance throughout the last three decades (1990–2019) are behaviour and health. This contribution of this study is that it offers a comprehensive view of the status quo and predicts further research trends.