Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
An institution publishes its annual research portfolio mapped against SDGs using the Aurora queries.
- Is an instance
A funder reviews the SDG mapping of its grant portfolio over five years to identify under-served goals.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
Reporting SDG mapping without disclosing the query methodology or data source.
- Not an instance
Claiming high SDG alignment based on a single keyword match without contextual review.
Editorial commentary
SDG mapping uses keyword-based, citation-based or machine-learning approaches to classify publications, datasets and projects against the SDGs. Several major projects have published SDG-mapping queries: Elsevier (SciVal SDG queries), Aurora Universities Network, the SDG Publishers Compact Fellows, and Times Higher Education Impact Rankings methodologies. Quality varies because keyword queries miss context, classifications are not standardised, and a single output often contributes to multiple goals. Best practice uses transparent published queries, allows manual override, and presents SDG mapping as exploratory rather than definitive.
References
- Aurora SDG mapping queries (github.com/aurora-network-global/sdg-queries). Elsevier SciVal SDG documentation. Vanderfeesten M et al. 'Search queries for mapping the SDG to research' Zenodo 2020.
Also known as
SDG classification · SDG tagging
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
<role vocab="credit"
vocab-identifier="https://casrai.org/dictionary/"
vocab-term="SDG mapping (research output)"
vocab-term-identifier="https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/sdg-mapping-research-output" />{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "DefinedTerm",
"name": "SDG mapping (research output)",
"identifier": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/sdg-mapping-research-output",
"description": "The practice of classifying research outputs, projects or programmes against one or more Sustainable Development Goals or targets, to understand alignment, track contributions, and communicate research relevance.",
"inDefinedTermSet": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/domain/engagement-impact-and-sdg-alignment/",
"url": "https://casrai.org/dictionary/term/sdg-mapping-research-output",
"sameAs": [
"SDG classification",
"SDG tagging"
],
"license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
}
