Coal　spontaneous　combustion　(CSC)　is　a　serious　problem　and　remains　a　global　safety　concern　in　coal　industry.　In　this　paper,　bibliometric　analysis　of　the　worldwide　scientific　publications　on　CSC　was　conducted　to　understand　the　characteristics　and　research　trends　in　the　Science　Citation　Index　Expanded　(SCI-Expanded)　database.　CiteSpace　was　adopted　to　evaluate　the　relationship　among　different　countries/territories,　authors,　and　keywords.　In　total,　829　documents　on　CSC　were　indexed,　covering　1752　authors,　197　journals,　53　countries,　and　591　institutes　between　1984　and　2018.　The　studies　related　to　CSC　have　been　growing　from　3　in　1984　to　126　in　2018.　China,　Australia,　and　the　USA　lead　scientific　production　on　CSC　research,　while　more　international　collaboration　should　be　strengthened　in　future.　Wang　DM,　Qin　BT,　and　Deng　J　are　the　most　active　researchers　in　this　field.　Fuel,　International　Journal　of　Coal　Geology,　and　Energy　and　Fuels　are　the　major　sources　of　CSC　publications.　In　addition,　China　holds　three　academic　entities　among　the　national-wide　top　10　active　institutions,　with　China　University　of　Mining　and　Technology　as　the　most　productive　research　institutes.　According　to　the　frequency　of　keywords,　low　temperature　oxidation,　kinetics,　mechanism,　model　are　the　dominant　topics　in　CSC　research.　Similarly,　there　are　new　research　hotspots　appearing　in　recent　years,　related　to　3　phase　foam,　fire　extinguishment,　and　foam　preparation.　(C)　2019　Institution　of　Chemical　Engineers.　Published　by　Elsevier　B.V.　All　rights　reserved.