Technology Readiness and Acceptance (2000–2024): A Bibliometric and Systematic Review toward the TRAS Framework

This study undertakes a comprehensive bibliometric and systematic review of scholarship on Technology Readiness and Technology Acceptance (TRA) published between 2000 and mid-2024 . Drawing on 3,006 Scopus-indexed publications , the analysis combines Biblioshiny (R) , VOSviewer , and Gephi to trace the field’s intellectual foundations , patterns of collaboration , and long-term thematic evolution . The evidence points to a sustained and substantial expansion of research activity over time, signalling the growing salience of digital readiness and technology adoption behaviour across both organisational and societal contexts. Foundational perspectives—most notably the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Technology Readiness Index (TRI) —continue to structure much of the literature. At the same time, theoretical extensions such as UTAUT and TAM3 have progressively broadened explanatory lenses, allowing scholars to engage with more complex adoption dynamics. Thematic and keyword co-occurrence analyses reveal three dominant and interrelated research streams . The first centres on behavioural adoption and readiness , reflecting enduring interest in individual and organisational predispositions toward technology use. The second focuses on digital transformation and AI-enabled adoption , capturing the rapid diffusion of intelligent and data-driven systems. The third foregrounds sustainability-oriented and ethical technology use , highlighting growing concern with long-term consequences, responsibility, and governance. A longitudinal perspective further indicates a clear shift in emphasis. Early work was largely preoccupied with model validation and refinement . More recent studies, however, increasingly adopt integrative socio-technical perspectives , explicitly engaging with artificial intelligence , ethical considerations , and sustainability imperatives . Synthesising these developments, the study advances a Technology Readiness–Acceptance–Sustainability (TRAS) continuum as an integrative meta-framework that conceptually connects readiness conditions, adoption processes, and sustainable technology outcomes. By consolidating previously fragmented research streams, the TRAS continuum offers a coherent basis for future research agendas (2025–2030) and provides theory-informed insights for researchers , policymakers , and practitioners concerned with responsible digital transformation .