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Understanding Recent Trends in Global Sustainable Development Goal 6 Research: Scientometric, Text Mining and an Improved Framework for Future Research

Author

Listed:
  • Ajishnu Roy

    (School of Geographical Sciences and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China)

  • Aman Basu

    (Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada)

  • Yanyu Su

    (School of Geographical Sciences and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China)

  • Yan Li

    (School of Geographical Sciences and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
    Centre for Climate and Environmental Changes, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China)

  • Xuhui Dong

    (School of Geographical Sciences and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
    Centre for Climate and Environmental Changes, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China)

Abstract

The fulfilment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, concerning water and sanitation, is critical in itself and also conditional for the other 16 SDGs being met. The purpose of this study was to understand the scientific research trajectories, spatiotemporal development, scientific collaboration, ongoing research themes, and gaps related to SDG 6. We propose a coupling of bibliometric and text mining methods in this work, to statistically portray the impact of water research on the accomplishment of SDG 6. Through the Web of Science database, we focused on a single UN SDG goal (i.e., six related publications that were current (2015–2021)). The study was performed on the chosen 289 publications. With the analysis of Keywords Plus, abstracts, titles, as well as author keywords, we looked at the performance of authors, publications, journals, institutions, and nations in terms of publishing. To obtain an insight into the water and sanitation study topic, we used co-citation, co-occurrence, cooperation networks, theme networks and cluster analysis, word dynamics, thematic evolution, and other techniques. We filtered out five distinguishing themes using text mining and showed their temporal trends. The main outcome is that participation, as well as collaboration with countries of the Global South, is still lacking in the SDG 6 research sphere. Therefore, as an insight from this study, we proposed a conceptual framework, the sustainable development of water and sanitation (SDWS) framework, to classify the research domain of water and sanitation regarding its connections to the environment, economy, and society (i.e., sustainable development). The scientometric and text analysis results provide the contemporary state and overview of the water and sanitation research field, whereas the second, conceptual framework section, provides a better understanding of qualitative contents, by revealing the insights gained, as well as the important work to be done in future water and sanitation studies.

Suggested Citation

  • Ajishnu Roy & Aman Basu & Yanyu Su & Yan Li & Xuhui Dong, 2022. "Understanding Recent Trends in Global Sustainable Development Goal 6 Research: Scientometric, Text Mining and an Improved Framework for Future Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-23, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:4:p:2208-:d:749917
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Christine Meschede, 2020. "The Sustainable Development Goals in Scientific Literature: A Bibliometric Overview at the Meta-Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-14, June.
    2. Aria, Massimo & Cuccurullo, Corrado, 2017. "bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 959-975.
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    4. Saeed-Ul Hassan & Peter Haddawy & Jia Zhu, 2014. "A bibliometric study of the world’s research activity in sustainable development and its sub-areas using scientific literature," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 99(2), pages 549-579, May.
    5. Herrera, Veronica, 2019. "Reconciling global aspirations and local realities: Challenges facing the Sustainable Development Goals for water and sanitation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 106-117.
    6. Annemarie Körfgen & Klaus Förster & Ingomar Glatz & Stephan Maier & Benedikt Becsi & Anna Meyer & Helga Kromp-Kolb & Johann Stötter, 2018. "It’s a Hit! Mapping Austrian Research Contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-13, September.
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    8. Jie Zhu & Weijian Hua, 2017. "Visualizing the knowledge domain of sustainable development research between 1987 and 2015: a bibliometric analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 110(2), pages 893-914, February.
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    1. Joohye Yoon & Sujin Han & Yongseok Lee & Hyesun Hwang, 2023. "Text Mining Analysis of ESG Management Reports in South Korea: Comparison With Sustainable Development Goals," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, November.

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