Tracking Progress Through Publications: A Bibliometric Study of SDG-Related Research among Student Theses in an Archdiocesan Catholic University

The study investigates the structural alignment of student research with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within an Archdiocesan Catholic University in the Philippines. Utilizing descriptive bibliometric mapping and document analysis, this research evaluates sixteen (N = 16) localized student theses produced between 2015 and 2025, retrieved systematically from the university library’s online public access catalog. The findings reveal a highly polarized distribution of sustainability themes. SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) serves as the dominant research anchor, accounting for 56.25% of the total institutional output, followed by modest concentrations in SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) at 12.50% each, and SDG 14 (Life Below Water) at 6.25%. Disciplinary mapping reveals that the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program generated the highest volume of sustainability-aligned papers (56.25%), followed by the Architecture program (12.50%). Longitudinal analysis demonstrates highly volatile, non-linear progression trends with distinct productivity peaks in 2019 and 2024, contrasted by structural gaps in 2017, 2020, and 2022 due to shifting curricular regimes and pandemic disruptions. Semantic network analysis through keyword co-occurrence confirms a tight conceptual focus on localized healthcare delivery, clinical interventions, and institutional pedagogy, leaving twelve of the seventeen SDGs completely unaddressed. The paper concludes by presenting an institutional framework for curriculum enrichment, multi-sectoral research clusters, and strategic faculty mentoring models designed to diversify student scholarly output, thereby operationalizing Catholic social teachings through measurable contributions to the global sustainability agenda.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), bibliometric analysis, student theses, Catholic higher education, research mapping, institutional repositories, Laudato si’.

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