A bibliometric analysis of the Aga Khan University research contribution in early child development

The research contribution of the Aga Khan University to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been explored through a bibliometric analysis. The analysis shows exponential growth of research across the SDGs undertaken by AKU-affiliated researchers. The analysis identified areas of interdisciplinary research, with a significant focus on societal development of interest to AKU, as per its mandate, and reflective of the work of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) of which AKU is an integral part. Building on the bibliometric analysis, this paper focuses on early childhood development and early childhood education with reference to the SDGs. A specific query is undertaken on ECD with respect to SDG 4 (Education) with an in-depth review of ECD reflective of AKU’s research output, 2016-2019. The paper presents an analysis of publications by AKU-affiliated authors as indexed in Scopus, a citation database of peer-reviewed literature, which indexes over 15,000 titles. This study presents bibliometric indicators including trends in high-impact publications along with citation analyses of articles, h-index, journal rank, impact factor and societal impact through analysing articles published in open access journals. In undertaking this study and reflecting on the themes of the IHD/CoEWH Conference, the paper makes a scholarly contribution with a specific focus on AKU’s research and scholarship to the areas of ECD and the SDGs. The paper notes areas for further research on ECD and SDGs emanating from this analysis