Skip to Main Content
AUS Library Homepage
University Library

Researcher Support

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They serve as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all.

The SDGs address a wide range of global challenges, including:

The SDGs are interconnected, meaning progress in one area often supports progress in another. They require collaboration between governments, businesses, academia, and individuals to be achieved by 2030.

For more information, visit the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals website.

Mapping Publications to SDGs

Your research can contribute to the attainment of the SDGs. Aligning your work with specific SDGs can highlight its relevance and improve its potential impact.

To improve the visibility of your research and showcase your contribution to the attainment of the SDGs, there are some simple steps you can take. By analysing the main themes of your research and matching these with the corresponding SDG keywords and phrases, you can improve the accessibility and relevance of your work.

  1. Analyse your research and match it with relevant SDGs
  2. Go to Elsevier's SDG keyword queries 
  3. Scan the queries for the most relevant keywords to your research (either CTRL+F in the browser, or download)
  4. Use SDG keywords in the title and/or abstract and/or free text of your work or tag your research with SDG keywords when submitting for publication 

As SDGs serve as a roadmap for creating a better and more equitable world by 2030, it is important to align your research publications with specific SDGs for several reasons:

  1. It helps ensure that your research addresses the most critical issues facing society. The SDGs encompass numerous challenges that the world is currently confronting, such as ending poverty, protecting the environment, and promoting good health and education. By linking your work to the SDGs, you can demonstrate how it contributes to solutions for these urgent global problems.
  2. It helps showcase the real-world impact of your research. Funders, universities, and the public are increasingly interested in understanding how scholarly work is making a tangible difference. Connecting your research to specific SDG targets and indicators provides a clear framework for showcasing your impact.
  3. SDGs can foster collaboration across different fields. By mapping your research to the goals, you may uncover unexpected connections and opportunities to collaborate with scholars from other disciplines to develop more comprehensive solutions.
  4. It can enhance the visibility and recognition of your research. Carefully selected keywords serve as entry points for fellow academics, policymakers, and the global community to discover your research. Demonstrating how your work supports the SDGs can elevate the profile of your research and increase its relevance beyond academia.
Subjects: Library Tools