Purpose　The　purpose　of　this　paper　is　to　examine　publication　characteristics　and　dynamic　evolution　of　the　Industrial　Management　&　Data　Systems　(IMDS)　over　the　past　25　years　from　volume　94,　issue　1,　in　1994　through　volume　118,　issue　9,　in　2018,　using　a　bibliometric　analysis,　and　identify　the　leading　trends　that　have　affected　the　journal　during　this　time　frame.　Design/methodology/approach　A　bibliometric　approach　was　used　to　provide　a　basic　overview　of　the　IMDS,　including　distribution　of　publication　and　citations,　articles　citing　the　IMDS,　top-cited　papers　and　publication　patterns.　Then,　a　complex　network　analysis　was　employed　to　present　the　most　productive,　influential　and　active　authors,　institutes　and　countries/regions.　In　addition,　cluster　analysis　and　alluvial　diagram　were　used　to　analyze　author　keywords.　Findings　This　study　presents　the　basic　bibliometric　results　for　the　IMDS　and　focuses　on　exploring　its　performance　over　the　last　25　years.　And　it　reveals　the　most　productive,　influential　and　active　authors,　institutes　and　countries/regions　in　IMDS.　Moreover,　this　study　detects　the　existence　of　at　least　five　different　keywords　clusters　and　discovers　how　themes　have　evolved　through　the　intricate　citation　relationships　in　IMDS.　Originality/value　The　main　contribution　of　this　paper　is　the　use　of　multiple　analysis　techniques　from　a　complex　network　paradigm　to　emphasize　the　time　evolving　nature　of　the　co-occurrence　networks　and　to　explore　the　variation　of　the　collaboration　networks　in　the　IMDS.　For　the　first　time,　the　evolution　of　research　themes　is　revealed　with　a　purely　data-driven　approach.