Editorial themes of the Acta Paulista de Enfermagem journal: a bibliometric study (1988-2017)

Objective: To analyze the editorial themes published in the Acta Paulista de Enfermagem journal throughout its first thirty years of existence. Methods: Bibliometric study of editorials published between 1988 and 2017 using Health Descriptors and quantitative and qualitative analysis of specific terms and categories discussed from the perspective of Michel Foucault's genealogy of knowledge. Results: In total, 129 editorials, 389 standardized terms and 706 categories were collected. The most frequent specific terms resulted in the triad of thematic trend in (1) Editing/Periodic publication, (2) Research and (3) Training/Specialty. In turn, the categories indicated the thematic trend in Public Health. Conclusion: The terms and categories conveyed politically based ideas of valuing Nursing, an event that coincided with the struggle for the development of the National Health Service. This social interconnection demonstrates that the panoptic vision of editorials went beyond their academic and scientific functions.