Virtual Reality Applications for Civilian Emergency Preparedness Training: A Bibliometric Review

Abstract

This bibliometric review examines serious games (SG) supported by virtual reality (VR) technologies for civilian emergency preparedness training. It maps publication trends, research themes, and evaluation practices in 66 studies published from 2010–2024 using a PRISMA-ScR approach. The quantitative analysis was combined with qualitative coding to assess how the papers defined evaluation methodologies and assessed their effectiveness for VRSG. The results point to notably increased research activity after 2018. Fire and evacuation scenarios dominate, while earthquakes, floods/tsunamis/typhoons, and hazards such as landslides or extreme weather appear far less often. Most studies rely on in‑game behaviour tracking and self‑report questionnaires, with fewer controlled comparisons and very rare long‑term retention assessments. The field is expanding and technically varied, but remains fragmented in outcome measures, reporting standards, and evidence linking in‑game performance to real‑world preparedness. Common methodological limitations include small samples, short‑term evaluations, and limited validation of learning transfer.