# Are we researching the right questions? Bibliometric analysis of undergraduate nursing thesis alignment with Peru's health priorities

## TL;DR

This study examines whether Peruvian undergraduate nursing theses align with national health priorities and global goals, finding a strong focus on health and well-being but limited methodological diversity.

## Contribution

The study introduces a replicable bibliometric approach to assess undergraduate nursing research alignment with national and global health priorities in resource-constrained settings.

## Key findings

- Most theses aligned with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) at 83.06%.
- National Health Research Priorities showed varied alignment, with top five priorities covering 49.63% of theses.
- Quantitative methods dominated, with limited intervention research and minimal thematic integration.

## Abstract

In resource-constrained settings, university research is increasingly expected to demonstrate alignment with national health agendas. In Peru, undergraduate thesis completion is mandatory for professional nursing licensure, generating substantial research output; however, the thematic orientation of this production has not been systematically examined.

To evaluate the thematic alignment of Peruvian undergraduate nursing theses with Sustainable Development Goals and National Health Research Priorities through comprehensive bibliometric analysis.

A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 6,157 undergraduate nursing theses produced between 2020 and 2025 across 38 SUNEDU-licensed universities, retrieved from RENATI, ALICIA, and institutional repositories. Descriptive, temporal, and thematic analyses were performed using the Bibliometrix package (R). Keyword co-occurrence networks were generated using VOSviewer. Thematic Alignment Indices (TAI) were calculated to quantify alignment with the 17 SDGs and 53 National Health Research Priorities.

Thematic distribution showed a strong concentration in SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being, 83.06%), while alignment with National Health Research Priorities was more evenly distributed, with the five most frequent priorities accounting for 49.63% of theses. Research predominantly addressed health habits and lifestyles (14.65%), maternal–child malnutrition and anemia (11.66%), mental health (8.45%), and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (8.38%). Quantitative methodologies predominated, with limited intervention research. Keyword analysis identified four thematic clusters with minimal integration across domains.

This study provides a descriptive overview of undergraduate nursing research trends in Peru, highlighting thematic concentration in health- related domains and variability in methodological reporting. The findings reflect nursing's disciplinary focus and curricular context, while offering a replicable bibliometric approach for examining undergraduate research orientation in settings with mandatory thesis requirements and limited research investment.