Mapping Women-Only Health Research in Taiwan: A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends, Collaboration, and Thematic Clusters (2015–2025)

Abstract

Background: Research on women’s health is essential for addressing sex-specific healthcare needs and informing evidence-based policy. However, women-only health research in Taiwan has not been systematically examined. Methods: We conducted a Scopus-based bibliometric analysis of health research exclusively involving female populations in Taiwan from 2015 to 2025. We included English-language, peer-reviewed journal articles involving only female participants and conducted in Taiwan or using Taiwanese datasets. Mixed-sex studies, including those reporting female-specific or sex-stratified findings, were excluded. Publication trends, citations, international collaboration, secondary data sources, and thematic patterns were analyzed using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. Results: A total of 1345 publications across 446 journals were included. Publication output increased from 126 articles in 2015 to a peak of 153 in 2021, followed by a decline, with an annual growth rate of −0.4%. The publications involved 3412 authors and received an average of 14.52 citations per document. International co-authorship accounted for 19.48% of publications, with the United States as the leading collaborator. The National Health Insurance Research Database was the most frequently reported secondary data source (n = 371, 27.6%). Research was concentrated in cancer, reproductive health, and mental health, whereas cardiovascular health accounted for a comparatively smaller share of the literature. Conclusions: Women-only health research in Taiwan remained active throughout the study period, despite a decline in publication output after 2021. The extensive use of national health databases and international collaboration further characterized the research landscape. These findings provide an evidence-informed basis for future research priority-setting, including efforts to broaden research across women’s health conditions and life-course stages while considering research activity alongside population health needs. Integrating bibliometric evidence with population health priorities may support a more balanced and comprehensive women’s health research agenda in Taiwan.