Policy analysis plays a crucial role in addressing societal challenges by providing methods and tools to generate and transform policy-relevant information. This research utilizes bibliometric analysis to gain a comprehensive understanding of the core concerns, temporal evolution, and geographical distribution of policy analysis research. The study's primary objectives are threefold: 1) to identify the core concerns reflected in policy analysis and their connections to real-world social problems; 2) to analyze the changes in these core concerns over time; and 3) to explore the variations in core concerns among different countries and the underlying factors driving these differences. By examining the historical trajectory of policy analysis, this study aims to reveal current and future policy problems and potential solutions, informing future research and international collaborations. Understanding the differing policy priorities of various nations can provide valuable insights for fostering dialogue and cooperation within the global community.

Bibliometric analysis has been successfully employed across various fields, including cultural heritage, disease analysis, sustainable development goals, and agricultural, medical information, and science and technology innovation policies. However, a comprehensive understanding of the global research trajectory and focus of policy analysis remains lacking. This study fills this gap by employing a bibliometric approach to examine policy analysis across three dimensions: time (identifying hot topics over time), intensity (measuring research volume), and scope (determining the core concerns of policy analysis).

The research employed the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection database to retrieve articles related to policy analysis. The process involved four key steps: 1. **Literature Search and Selection:** Initially, a broad search for articles related to 'policy analysis' yielded a large dataset. To focus on influential research, the analysis then selected the top 1% most-cited papers compared to others published in the same year, ensuring that the analysis focused on enduring contributions. 2. **Dataset Construction:** The selected papers were then categorized into six datasets based on their disciplinary focus: a general dataset covering all policy analysis articles and five discipline-specific datasets focused on medicine, environment, energy, economics, and multidisciplinary research. Specific search terms within each dataset are detailed in Table 1 to ensure the data's relevance to each field. 3. **Statistical Analysis and Network Visualization:** VOSviewer software was used for statistical analysis and network visualization to explore authorship, organizational, and geographical distributions. This allowed for the mapping of collaboration patterns, topic trends over time, and the relationships between policy analysis and specific academic fields. Co-citation analysis of journals provided clues for disciplinary research. 4. **Co-word Analysis:** Co-occurrence analysis of keywords was conducted to identify key topics and trends within each dataset, revealing the common and core concerns of policy analysis across the different disciplines. The meaninglessness or common terms were removed in order to refine the core concerns of the study.

The analysis revealed a substantial increase in policy analysis publications between 2003 and 2021, indicating growing global interest in the field. The collaboration network analysis identified key players in policy analysis, including universities and organizations from the USA, UK, and China, demonstrating a global interest and collaboration across borders. The study found that the most frequently cited policy analysis articles are heavily concentrated within medicine, environment, energy, and economics fields. These fields demonstrate a correlation with real-world issues. **Medicine:** Policy analysis in medicine showed a steady increase in publications since 2009, with a significant surge after 2019, likely due to the H1N1 and COVID-19 pandemics. Key topics included the prevalence and mortality of diseases, public health, and health policy, particularly concerning children and adolescents. The ongoing prevalence of COVID-19 remained a prominent concern in recent years. **Environment:** Environmental policy analysis showed the greatest growth, particularly after 2015. Core topics included carbon emissions, climate change, and sustainability, along with related concepts like urbanization, energy consumption, and economic growth. The study highlighted the evolution of concerns, from earlier topics such as the Kyoto Protocol and acid deposition to more recent issues like plastic pollution. **Energy:** Policy analysis in energy revealed a close relationship between energy and emissions. Key topics focused on the demand for renewable energy sources due to carbon emissions and energy consumption. The transition from earlier concerns such as the Kyoto protocol and restructuring to more recent focus on green power and energy communities was noteworthy. **Economics:** Economic policy analysis demonstrated an emphasis on topics like transportation, supply chain management, and inventory management, with a growing interest in sustainability and the circular economy in recent years. The interplay between economic growth, environmental issues, and energy consumption were notable themes. **Multidisciplinary:** The multidisciplinary research highlighted the interconnectedness of economic, environmental, and energy policy analysis, focusing on climate change, sustainability, and inventory management.

The findings demonstrate the growing global concern regarding various pressing societal issues, including public health crises, environmental degradation, and the need for sustainable development. The study highlights the increasing interconnectedness of these issues and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to policy analysis. The variations in policy priorities among nations are linked to their unique developmental contexts and resource capabilities. Developed countries tend to prioritize health and economic transformation issues, while developing countries are facing greater environmental challenges related to rapid economic growth. The exponential growth in policy analysis research reflects the growing need for evidence-based policymaking to tackle these complex global problems. This study serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and international organizations working towards a more sustainable and equitable future.

This study provides a comprehensive overview of the core concerns, temporal evolution, and geographic distribution of policy analysis research using bibliometric analysis. It reveals the growing significance of policy analysis in addressing pressing global challenges, the multidisciplinary nature of the field, and variations in policy priorities among countries. The study's findings highlight the urgent need for international cooperation and collaborative efforts to address shared global concerns, promoting sustainable and equitable development. Future research could explore the underlying mechanisms driving policy priorities and assess the alignment between academic research and policy agendas.

This study has some limitations. The use of keywords for bibliometric analysis may not fully capture the nuances of research articles. Additionally, the study focuses solely on academic research and does not directly assess the alignment between academic findings and actual policy agendas. While the study identifies correlations between various phenomena, it does not delve into the underlying causal mechanisms. Future studies should address these limitations for a more comprehensive understanding of policy analysis.