SCIENTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF SDG-RELATED RESEARCH OUTPUTS IN AN AGRICULTURAL STATE UNIVERSITY IN THE PHILIPPINES: IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH PERFORMANCE AND HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY

Abstract

This study aims to map the contributions of an agricultural state university in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science. Adopting a scientometric approach, the study integrates bibliometric performance indicators with science mapping techniques to analyze the university’s SDG-aligned research output. Publications affiliated with Benguet State University (BSU) were retrieved from both databases and examined to uncover patterns in productivity, collaboration, and thematic structure. Findings reveal that BSU’s research contributions are predominantly concentrated in SDG 2, 12, and 15, reflecting the institution’s strong orientation toward agriculture, sustainability, and environmental science. In contrast, limited outputs were observed in SDG 1, 5, 9, and 17, indicating potential gaps and underexplored areas. Co-authorship network analysis highlights a predominance of internal collaborations, with relatively weak international research linkages. Thematic and overlay visualizations further indicate a recent shift in research focus toward environmental sustainability and food security. Density mapping identifies key authors and institutional clusters that drive SDG-related research productivity. The results also suggest that variations in scholarly output across disciplines, along with institutional factors, significantly influence research performance. Moreover, journal quartile rankings and citation metrics appear to shape faculty publishing behavior, underscoring the need for institutions to recalibrate merit and incentive systems to better support and promote SDG-aligned research.