Abstract: To systematically comprehend the overall progress of research on low-oxygen conditions in coal mining workfaces within China, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database was utilized as the primary data source. Employing CiteSpace software, knowledge maps were generated to visualize publication volume, research institutions, and keyword clusters, thereby conducting a visual analysis of the research landscape in this field. The findings indicate: temporally, publication volume underwent four distinct phases: ‘Inception and Foundation Period — Rapid Formation Period — Fluctuating Consolidation Period — High-Level Expansion Period’. Regarding collaborative networks, institutions such as the School of Safety Engineering at China University of Mining and Technology, the School of Safety Science and Engineering at Xi’an University of Science and Technology, the School of Safety Science and Engineering at Liaoning Technical University, and the State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Safety Technology functioned as network hubs, demonstrating strong organizational influence and collaborative capabilities. Combining keyword clustering with literature review, current high-frequency themes primarily center on ‘goaf, upper corner, numerical simulation, coal spontaneous combustion, fire prevention and suppression, ventilation optimization’. By extracting several keywords with high burst strength and rearranging them according to their year of emergence, it is observed that the research focus has progressively shifted from early-stage mechanistic understanding and single-item prevention to engineering-oriented coupled simulation and intelligent monitoring management systems. Among these, topics such as “multi-physics coupling, pressure-equalizing ventilation, nitrogen inerting, real-time monitoring and early warning, and low-oxygen management in deep mines” have become recent research focal points and exhibit a sustained intensification trend. Building upon this, the study further employs visualization graphs to explore research frontiers and development pathways, systematically revealing emerging research directions such as the coordinated governance of “gas extraction and low-oxygen prevention.” This work aims to provide a scientific reference for policy formulation and engineering implementation in low-oxygen management in coal mine working faces in China.