Research Trends and Hot Topics in Nursing Research on Children with Disabilities: A Bibliometric Analysis from 1977...

Background/Objectives: Nursing research on children with disabilities spans diverse disability groups, care settings, and areas of practice; however, its development and structure have not been comprehensively examined. This study aimed to examine publication trends, major research themes, temporal development, and collaboration patterns. Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection was searched on 29 June 2026 without publication-year restrictions. English-language articles and reviews indexed in Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) were included, yielding 1915 publications from 1977 to 2026. VOSviewer and Biblioshiny were used to analyze publication trends, keyword co-occurrence, thematic structure and evolution, trend topics, and country and institutional collaboration. Results: Research output increased substantially, particularly during the last decade. Across the study period, the United States had the highest publication output and co-authorship connectivity, followed by England, Canada, and Australia. Nursing, children, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and cerebral palsy were among the largest nodes in the keyword network. The thematic map positioned the autism-pediatrics-developmental disability cluster slightly within the motor themes quadrant, while the disability-children with disabilities-qualitative research, adolescents-communication-transition, and children-nursing-intellectual disability clusters were positioned among the basic themes. Thematic evolution showed both continuity and diversification, with autism, nursing, children, and intellectual disability represented across multiple periods, while quality of life, education, and mental health were represented in the most recent period. Trend topic analysis further showed that well-being, implementation, pediatric nursing, anxiety, and mental health were among the topics with more recent median publication years. Conclusions: Nursing research on children with disabilities has expanded and diversified, with recurring disability-specific topics alongside more recent topics related to psychosocial issues, pediatric nursing, and implementation. Future research could build on the thematic patterns identified in this study through systematic reviews and primary nursing research, while bibliometric studies incorporating additional databases could provide a more comprehensive view of the field.