Unveiling the Research Landscape of Sustainable Development Goals and Their Inclusion in Higher Education Institutions and Research Centers: Major Trends in 2000–2017
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have become the international framework for sustainability policy. Its legacy is linked with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), established in 2000. In this paper a scientometric analysis was conducted to: (1) Present a new methodological approach to iden...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-03-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainability |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsus.2021.620743/full |
| _version_ | 1818329033368141824 |
|---|---|
| author | Núria Bautista-Puig Ana Marta Aleixo Ana Marta Aleixo Susana Leal Ulisses Azeiteiro Rodrigo Costas Rodrigo Costas |
| author_facet | Núria Bautista-Puig Ana Marta Aleixo Ana Marta Aleixo Susana Leal Ulisses Azeiteiro Rodrigo Costas Rodrigo Costas |
| author_sort | Núria Bautista-Puig |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have become the international framework for sustainability policy. Its legacy is linked with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), established in 2000. In this paper a scientometric analysis was conducted to: (1) Present a new methodological approach to identify the research output related to both SDGs and MDGs (M&SDGs) from 2000 to 2017, with the aim of mapping the global research related to M&SDGs; (2) Describe the thematic specialization based on keyword co-occurrence analysis and citation bursts; and (3) Classify the scientific output into individual SDGs (based on an ad-hoc glossary) and assess SDGs interconnections. Publications conceptually related to M&SDGs (defined by the set of M&SDG core publications and a scientometric expansion based on direct citations) were identified in the in-house CWTS Web of Science database. A total of 25,299 publications were analyzed, of which 21,653 (85.59%) were authored by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) or academic research centers (RCs). The findings reveal the increasing participation of these organizations in this research (660 institutions in 2000–2005 to 1,744 institutions involved in 2012–2017). Some institutions present both a high production and specialization on M&SDG topics (e.g., London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and World Health Organization); and others with a very high specialization although lower production levels (e.g., Stockholm Environment Institute). Regarding the specific topics of research, health (especially in developing countries), women, and socio-economic issues are the most salient. Moreover, it has been observed an important interlinkage in the research outputs of some SDGs (e.g., SDG11 “Sustainable Cities and Communities” and SDG3 “Good Health and Well-Being”). This study provides first evidence of such interconnections, and the results of this study could be useful for policymakers in order to promote a more evidenced-based setting for their research agendas on SDGs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T12:41:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-968c8a863eb44a4f82eb34a5a3fccfc3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-4524 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T12:41:37Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sustainability |
| spelling | doaj.art-968c8a863eb44a4f82eb34a5a3fccfc32022-12-21T23:45:38ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainability2673-45242021-03-01210.3389/frsus.2021.620743620743Unveiling the Research Landscape of Sustainable Development Goals and Their Inclusion in Higher Education Institutions and Research Centers: Major Trends in 2000–2017Núria Bautista-Puig0Ana Marta Aleixo1Ana Marta Aleixo2Susana Leal3Ulisses Azeiteiro4Rodrigo Costas5Rodrigo Costas6Department of Industrial Management, Industrial Design and Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, University of Gävle, Gävle, SwedenDepartment of Biology, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, PortugalPolytechnic Institute of Leiria, Leiria, PortugalLife Quality Research Centre, Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, Santarém, PortugalDepartment of Biology, Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, PortugalCentre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), Leiden University, Leiden, NetherlandsDepartment of Science and Innovation-National Research Foundation of South Africa Centre of Excellence in Scientometrics and STI Policy (SciSTP), Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South AfricaThe Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have become the international framework for sustainability policy. Its legacy is linked with the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), established in 2000. In this paper a scientometric analysis was conducted to: (1) Present a new methodological approach to identify the research output related to both SDGs and MDGs (M&SDGs) from 2000 to 2017, with the aim of mapping the global research related to M&SDGs; (2) Describe the thematic specialization based on keyword co-occurrence analysis and citation bursts; and (3) Classify the scientific output into individual SDGs (based on an ad-hoc glossary) and assess SDGs interconnections. Publications conceptually related to M&SDGs (defined by the set of M&SDG core publications and a scientometric expansion based on direct citations) were identified in the in-house CWTS Web of Science database. A total of 25,299 publications were analyzed, of which 21,653 (85.59%) were authored by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) or academic research centers (RCs). The findings reveal the increasing participation of these organizations in this research (660 institutions in 2000–2005 to 1,744 institutions involved in 2012–2017). Some institutions present both a high production and specialization on M&SDG topics (e.g., London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and World Health Organization); and others with a very high specialization although lower production levels (e.g., Stockholm Environment Institute). Regarding the specific topics of research, health (especially in developing countries), women, and socio-economic issues are the most salient. Moreover, it has been observed an important interlinkage in the research outputs of some SDGs (e.g., SDG11 “Sustainable Cities and Communities” and SDG3 “Good Health and Well-Being”). This study provides first evidence of such interconnections, and the results of this study could be useful for policymakers in order to promote a more evidenced-based setting for their research agendas on SDGs.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsus.2021.620743/fullsustainable development goalsmillennium development goalshigher education institutionssustainability sciencebibliometricsscientometrics |
| spellingShingle | Núria Bautista-Puig Ana Marta Aleixo Ana Marta Aleixo Susana Leal Ulisses Azeiteiro Rodrigo Costas Rodrigo Costas Unveiling the Research Landscape of Sustainable Development Goals and Their Inclusion in Higher Education Institutions and Research Centers: Major Trends in 2000–2017 Frontiers in Sustainability sustainable development goals millennium development goals higher education institutions sustainability science bibliometrics scientometrics |
| title | Unveiling the Research Landscape of Sustainable Development Goals and Their Inclusion in Higher Education Institutions and Research Centers: Major Trends in 2000–2017 |
| title_full | Unveiling the Research Landscape of Sustainable Development Goals and Their Inclusion in Higher Education Institutions and Research Centers: Major Trends in 2000–2017 |
| title_fullStr | Unveiling the Research Landscape of Sustainable Development Goals and Their Inclusion in Higher Education Institutions and Research Centers: Major Trends in 2000–2017 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unveiling the Research Landscape of Sustainable Development Goals and Their Inclusion in Higher Education Institutions and Research Centers: Major Trends in 2000–2017 |
| title_short | Unveiling the Research Landscape of Sustainable Development Goals and Their Inclusion in Higher Education Institutions and Research Centers: Major Trends in 2000–2017 |
| title_sort | unveiling the research landscape of sustainable development goals and their inclusion in higher education institutions and research centers major trends in 2000 2017 |
| topic | sustainable development goals millennium development goals higher education institutions sustainability science bibliometrics scientometrics |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsus.2021.620743/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nuriabautistapuig unveilingtheresearchlandscapeofsustainabledevelopmentgoalsandtheirinclusioninhighereducationinstitutionsandresearchcentersmajortrendsin20002017 AT anamartaaleixo unveilingtheresearchlandscapeofsustainabledevelopmentgoalsandtheirinclusioninhighereducationinstitutionsandresearchcentersmajortrendsin20002017 AT anamartaaleixo unveilingtheresearchlandscapeofsustainabledevelopmentgoalsandtheirinclusioninhighereducationinstitutionsandresearchcentersmajortrendsin20002017 AT susanaleal unveilingtheresearchlandscapeofsustainabledevelopmentgoalsandtheirinclusioninhighereducationinstitutionsandresearchcentersmajortrendsin20002017 AT ulissesazeiteiro unveilingtheresearchlandscapeofsustainabledevelopmentgoalsandtheirinclusioninhighereducationinstitutionsandresearchcentersmajortrendsin20002017 AT rodrigocostas unveilingtheresearchlandscapeofsustainabledevelopmentgoalsandtheirinclusioninhighereducationinstitutionsandresearchcentersmajortrendsin20002017 AT rodrigocostas unveilingtheresearchlandscapeofsustainabledevelopmentgoalsandtheirinclusioninhighereducationinstitutionsandresearchcentersmajortrendsin20002017 |