A bibliometric analysis of publication of funded studies in nursing research from Web of Science, 2008–2018

Abstract

To analyse the current status and publication trends of funded studies in nursing-related research from 2008 to 2018, available in the Web of Science. A longitudinal bibliometric analysis of publications of funded studies in nursing-related research, obtained from the Web of Science, was conducted. On 10 May 2019, we accessed 77,772 funded studies (2008-2018) from the Web of Science. Bibliometric methods and indicators were used to classify the publications and summarize the overall number, countries/regions, institutions, journals, and other parameters of the publications. The global output of nursing-related funded research publications increased significantly over time. The three leading countries with the highest number of funded publications were the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, with the United States accounting for 15 of the top 20 institutions associated with funded publications, which mostly included institutions of higher education. The most common disciplines of these publications were oncology, psychiatry, and paediatrics. The top three journals that published the largest number of nursing-related funded publications were the Journal of Clinical Nursing, the Journal of Advanced Nursing, and the International Journal of Nursing Studies. Keywords with the highest frequency of occurrence included "nurses," "qualitative research," "older people," "quality of life," "depression," "cancer," and "children." Nursing-related research has been drawing increasing attention over the years. Analysing the output of funded publications and monitoring the new dynamics of the international development of academic research in the field of nursing are crucial for determining future directions of nursing-related research development. The results of this study will provide a reference for scholars to evaluate the current utilization efficiency of global nursing-related research funding and demonstrate the development and trends in nursing-related research.