EVALUATION OF QUALITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION. BIBLIOMETRIC STUDY

Objective: The main objective of this study was to assess the quality of higher education policies through the application of a bibliometric analysis, thus highlighting the originality of this approach in the field of university policies.Design/Methodology/Approach: To address this objective, a bibliometric study was conducted covering the period from 2018 to 2023. The originality of this research lies in the application of bibliometric tools, such as SciVal and VOSviewer, to analyze 4,237 documents collected from the Scopus database. These tools allowed a detailed analysis of key variables, such as research areas, thematic networks, citations and collaboration between authors. In addition, compliance with ethical and legal guidelines in data management was ensured, thus highlighting the innovation in the methodology employed. Results/Discussion: The results revealed that during the period studied, 4,237 documents related to higher education policies were published. These papers averaged 5.6 citations per paper, with an FWCI index of 0.94. The originality of this research stands out in the identification of national and international collaboration patterns, where 17.9% of international collaboration demonstrated a significant impact on the field. The United States, China, United Kingdom and Spain led the academic output. Keywords reflected key themes, such as quality of life, mental health, medical education, and COVID-19, highlighting the relevance of quality in higher education and its adaptation to the pandemic, through a novel approach based on bibliometric data. Conclusions: In conclusion, the originality of this study lies in the effective application of bibliometrics to evaluate higher education policies. During the period studied, a growth in interdisciplinary research and increased attention to the pandemic was observed. International collaboration was highlighted as a key factor in the impact of research in this evolving field. Key themes emerging highlight the relevance of academic issues and student welfare, thus contributing a unique perspective to the field of university policy. Originality/value: The originality of this study lies in the innovative application of bibliometrics to assess higher education policy, offering a unique perspective that combines bibliometric data with current issues in the field of university policy.