The aim of this review was to critically evaluate the current status of chatbot research and applications and factors related to it. A Google search using search terms yielded 30 usable full text papers published between 2015 and 2019.

A tabulated analysis was done on the highlights of these 30 papers. Some points of interest have been discussed in the paper. A categorised table of types of studies and their relative numbers has been given. Research works and model proposals were maximum. There was a significant dearth of papers on system description and implementation.
Many points emanating from the review are discussed. The deficiencies and limitations of certain papers have been pointed out. Based on the highlighted remarks, some gaps in the current understanding of chatbots and scope for further research have been identified.

Keywords: Chatbot, customer service, efficiency, accuracy, review