Bibliometric analysis of scientific publications on "sustainable development goals" with emphasis on "good health and well-being" goal (2015-2019)

Abstract

Background: Global progress in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires significant national and international research efforts and collaboration. The current study aimed to provide policymakers, academics, and researchers with a snapshot of global SDGs-related research activity.

Method: This was a cross-sectional descriptive bibliometric study. SciVerse Scopus was used to retrieve SDGs-related research publications for the period from 2015 to 2019.

Results: In total, 18,696 documents were found. The Sustainability journal ranked first (n = 1008; 5.4%) in the number of SDGs-related publications. The World Health Organization was the most active institution in publishing SDGs-related documents (n = 581; 1.3%). Most of the retrieved documents belonged to SDG 17 (partnership) followed by SDG 13 (climate action), and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), while SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) had the least number of publications. The European region (n = 9756; 52.2%) had the highest research contribution while the Eastern Mediterranean region (n = 1052; 5.6%) had the least contribution. After exclusion of SDG 17, the SDG 3 (good health and well-being) was the top researched SDG for the African region, the Eastern Mediterranean regions, and the South-Eastern Asian region. For the region of the Americas, European region, and the Western Pacific region, the SDG 13 (climate action) was the most researched. The SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) was the least researched in the African region, the region of the Americas, the European region, and the South-East Asian region. In the Eastern Mediterranean region, SDG 10 (reduced inequality) was the least researched while in the Western Pacific region, SDG 5 (gender inequality) was the least researched. The most researched targets of SDG 3 were targets 7 (sexual and reproductive health services) and 8 (universal health coverage) while the least researched targets were 5 (substance use disorders) and 9 (death from hazardous materials). International research collaboration within SDG 3 between high- and low-income countries was inadequate.

Conclusion: The analysis presented in the current study are useful for researchers, institutes, governments, funding agencies, and policy-makers. Countries in Africa, the Middle East, and South-East Asia need to increase their funding and research collaboration in the field of SDGs.

Keywords: Bibliometric analysis; Scopus; Sustainable development goals.

Fig. 1

Annual growth of SDGs-related publications (2015–2019)

Fig. 2

Annual growth of publication in top five SDGs (excluding SDG 17). Coding of the lines: Purple = SDG 13 (climate action); Red = SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production); Black = SDG 3 (good health and well-being); Green = SDG 15 (life on land); Blue = SDG 1 (no poverty)

Fig. 3

Annual growth of SDGs-related publications from different world regions. Coding of the lines: Purple = the European region; Green = the region of the Americas; Red = the Western Pacific region; Blue = the African region; Orange = the South-East Asian region; Black = the Eastern Mediterranean region

Fig. 4

Network visualization map of SDGs-related publications on SDG 3. Three colored clusters represent three major research themes

Fig. 5

Network visualization map of international research collaboration among countries with a minimum of 20 SDGs-related publications. Countries in the center with many connections had the highest research collaboration while countries at the edge of the map had the least research collaboration