With the population expanding and economic development occurring rapidly, finding oases in dry areas is vital to ensuring the sustainable development of society. The bibliometric method is a common research tool used in various fields for systematic analysis. An effective bibliometric analysis based on the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), published by Thomson Reuters, was carried out to provide insights into research activities on oases from 1985 to 2014. The Thomson Data Analyzer and UCINET were used for data mining and quantitative analysis of the papers on oasis research in the SCIE database. Analyzed aspects included the number of publications per year, the subject category, and the details of country and research institute. The objectives of this paper were to assess the current status and international influence of oasis studies in the world by analyzing and comparing characteristic features, and to provide directions for potential research in the future.The results indicated that the body of global research on oases is growing, especially since 1985. The development of oasis study can be divided into two stages: the embryonic and germination phase (1985-2002), and the practice and rapid development phase (2003-2014). Hot subjects mainly covered geochemistry and geophysics, biodiversity conservation, plant science, ecology, and geoscience. The research conducted in China dominated this field. The publications by the Chinese Academy of Sciences on this topic outnumber those of the University of Tasmania, University of California, and other institutions. However, the research quality and influence of the Chinese Academy, as well as its capacity for international cooperation, need to be strengthened. Therefore, China should pay close attention to the development of international situations and progress in the study of oases, and should encourage China's relevant agencies to conduct systematic research, and actively promote cooperation on oasis research. In order to meet future demands and maintain a high level of oasis research and influence in China, we should continue to strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation and integration of research in natural science and social science.