Abstract

The balance between exploration and exploitation is a fundamental element in the design and performance of bio-inspired optimization algorithms. However, to date, its conceptual evolution and its treatment in the scientific literature have not been systematically characterized from a bibliometric approach. This study performs an exhaustive analysis of the scientific production on the balance between exploration and exploitation using records extracted from the Web of Science (WoS) database. The processing and analysis of the data were carried out through the combined use of Bibliometrix (R package) and VOSviewer, tools that made it possible to quantify productivity, map collaborative networks, and visualize emerging thematic trends. The results show a sustained growth in the volume of publications over the last decade, as well as the consolidation of academic collaboration networks and the emergence of new thematic lines in the field. In particular, metaheuristic algorithms have demonstrated a significant and growing impact, constituting a fundamental pillar in the advancement and methodological diversification of the exploration–exploitation balance. This work provides a quantitative framework and a structured view of the evolution of research, identifies the main actors and trends, and raises opportunities for future lines of research in the field of optimization using metaheuristics, the most prominent instantiation of bio-inspired optimization algorithms. © 2025 by the authors.