# Exploring Core Knowledge in Interdisciplinary Research: Insights from Topic Modeling Analysis
## 1 Introduction  
With the continuous expansion and refinement of human scientific knowledge, interdisciplinary research has become a focal point of increasing attention for governments and the academic community worldwide. By breaking down traditional disciplinary boundaries, the exploration of unknown fields is gradually becoming the new norm in scientific research [1]. For instance, the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, awarded for \"super-resolved fluorescence microscopy\", is a prime example of the successful integration of chemistry, physics, and biology [2]. In 2015, Nature published a series of special articles discussing the challenges and opportunities of interdisciplinary research, highlighting the growing emphasis on interdisciplinary studies within the academic community. By 2020, China's National Natural Science Foundation had established a dedicated Division of Interdisciplinary Sciences to further promote the integration and exchange of knowledge across disciplines. The book _Advanced Technologies, Systems, and Applications VIII: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Innovative and Interdisciplinary Applications of Advanced Technologies_ (2023) showcased the latest developments in applied mathematics, artificial intelligence, and statistics, further reflecting the dynamic and sustained nature of interdisciplinary approaches [3].  
Interdisciplinary research, through the exchange and integration of knowledge across different fields, has demonstrated its unique value and potential in addressing many intractable real-world problems. However, there remains considerable debate regarding the understanding and practice of interdisciplinary research, with certain domains yet to achieve substantive breakthroughs in overcoming disciplinary boundaries. At the same time, some voices in academia remain skeptical, viewing interdisciplinary research as merely a passing trend [4]. In his book _In Defense of Disciplines: Interdisciplinarity and Specialization in the Research University_, [PERSON] [5] argues against interdisciplinary research, asserting that disciplinary specialization remains key to scientific discovery. This book has become a cornerstone in recent years for those opposing interdisciplinary studies.  
Faced with these contrasting perspectives, the academic community has increasingly focused on the issue of interdisciplinarity in scientific research and innovation while actively exploring the current state of research and its impact. Although some studies have provided reviews and insights into interdisciplinary research [6; 7], few have delved deeply into its core knowledge. While original research is central to knowledge creation, reviewing and organizing the literature and knowledge structure of a field are equally crucial. This study aims to explore the core knowledge of interdisciplinary research by identifying high-value articles. To achieve this goal, we address the following research questions:  
RQ1: What are the highly cited (high-value) articles in interdisciplinary research?  
RQ2: What are the core knowledge topics in interdisciplinary research?  
This study systematically reviews highly cited literature from the Web of Science database to map the knowledge landscape of interdisciplinary research, summarize its current state, and integrate existing knowledge. By extracting titles, keywords, and abstracts, and applying latent topic identification and visualization analysis, this study seeks to provide deeper insights into the core issues of interdisciplinary research.