Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends and Novelty of Midwifery Policy

Abstract

Midwifery policy is important in regulating services, and its significance cannot be overstated. Despite the ongoing efforts in formulating policy, there remains a need for further analysis. This is because evidence-based research in midwifery serves as a foundation for enhancing the professionalism of the service practices. Bibliometric analysis of publications pertaining to midwifery policy is absent, leaving a gap in understanding trends and concepts. Therefore, this research aimed to determine trends in the number of publications, and visualisation of the relationship on the topic of midwifery policy through bibliometric analysis. The method used systematic reviews with the stages following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) diagram. Scientific publication data related to midwifery policy was retrieved through dimensions.ai from 2010 to 2022 and the data was analysed using VOSviewer. The results showed that first, there was an annual exponential growth in the number of publications and citations on the topic. Second, there were 224 items, 8 clusters, and 10047 links with a strength of 63352 on the topic of midwifery policy. Third, trends of research related to the topic were focused on hospitals, behaviour, and framework. Fourth, the research related to policy were topics with a low-density category, namely professional development, registration, and public health. Research results could identify trends and novelty in midwifery policy and recommend directions for further analysis.