Analyzing the Development of Research Skills in University Students: A Bibliometric Review

Marín León J.A.; Castillo E.R.; Santisteban M.A.G.; Yaqueliny L.S.R.; Villanueva F.D.L. · Journal of Educational and Social Research (2026) · DOI: 10.36941/jesr-2026-0288

Resumen

This study examined the development of research competence in university students through a longitudinal descriptive bibliometric analysis of scientific literature from 2008-2023. Using the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and expanded TITLE-ABS-KEY search technique, 178 articles indexed in Scopus were analyzed following systematic inclusion criteria. The research employed quantitative bibliometric methods including co-citation analysis and bibliographic coupling to identify patterns in publication trends, geographic distribution, institutional affiliations, and thematic evolution in research competence development.Results reveal that Social Sciences dominates the field with 96 publications (53.9%), followed by Computer Science (38 publications, 21.3%), Arts and Humanities (24 publications, 13.5%), and Psychology (12 publications, 6.7%). Latin American countries demonstrate pronounced leadership, contributing 60.1% of total production (n=107), with Peru leading at 23.6% (n=42), followed by Mexico (15.7%, n=28) and Colombia (7.9%, n=14). The semantic analysis identified "research skills" as the central concept, interconnected with academic literacy, autonomous learning, and thesis production. Peak publication activity occurred in 2022 with 30 publications (16.9% of corpus), demonstrating exponential growth (R2=0.89) from initial low production (2008-2015, average 4.3 publications/year). Tecnológico de Monterrey emerges as the most productive institution with 12 publications (6.7%), followed by Universidad César Vallejo (10 publications, 5.6%).The analysis demonstrates research competence development as a multidisciplinary field requiring integration across curricula. Teacher strategies prove decisive in student competence acquisition, while technology-enhanced learning environments show potential for improving research skill development. These findings provide foundational insights for educational policy makers and institutions seeking to strengthen research culture among university students, particularly in Latin American contexts where research competence integration remains a pedagogical priority.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de Jaén; Universidad César Vallejo