Medical research productivity in the Arab countries: 2007-2016 bibliometric analysis

El-Rassi, Rola; Meho, Lokman I.; Nahlawi, Acile; Salameh, Johnny; Bazarbachi, Ali; Akl, Elie A.

doi:10.7189/jogh.08.020411

Cited by 60 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Compared to overall medical research in the region, mental health research is lagging. While we found that mental health research increased from 0.7% of global output in 2009 to 1.2% in 2018, El Rassi et al (22) reported that overall medical research output in the same Arab region increased from 1.0% in 2007 to 2.1% of global output in 2016. Regional mental health research and overall medical research in general, however, share other characteristics: most of the research is published in low-impact local journals (ranging from 20 to 24% of total output) and about half of the studies are collaborative, most frequently with the same non-Arab countries (22).…”

Section: Key Trends In the Arab Regioncontrasting

confidence: 59%

The Arab Region's Contribution to Global Mental Health Research (2009–2018): A Bibliometric Analysis

et al. 2020

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Background: Mental health research output in the Arab region is increasing, yet little is known about its recent landscape. This study provides a bibliometric analysis of mental health research in all 22 Arab countries over the past decade. Method: We used 760 journals and numerous keywords to search for articles published between 2009 and 2018 by individuals affiliated with institutions located in the Arab region. We analyzed data within Arab countries and between Arab and non-Arab countries. Results: We found that research output in the Arab world has increased by almost 160% in the past ten years, in comparison to 57% for the rest of the world. The quality of publications has also steadily improved, and so did international collaboration. Despite the progress, the number of articles per capita remains remarkably lower for the Arab world compared to the rest of the world. Also, the majority of articles continue to emanate from a limited number of countries (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon) and institutions within these countries. Mental health research topics in the Arab region are similar to those found in low-and middle-income countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Conclusion: The region needs to invest more in mental health research to close the gap with other medical and healthcare research areas and with the rest of the world. The region also needs to increase its international collaboration and research training to produce higher-quality studies, attract more funding, and publish more in top journals. As the region's population continues to face increasing trauma as a result of war and terrorism, among others, the field is afforded an opportunity to establish a major standing in the healthcare domain. Researchers are uniquely poised to use their body of research evidence to effectively help people reengage with their environments and return to daily life activities.

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Section: Key Trends In the Arab Regioncontrasting

confidence: 59%

The Arab Region's Contribution to Global Mental Health Research (2009–2018): A Bibliometric Analysis

et al. 2020

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“…20,21 In fact, El Rassi reported that the number of medical publications from the Arab region increased threefold between 2007 and 2016. 18 The increase in retractions in our study for the corresponding period was also nearly threefold, from 8 to 22: although we are comparing the numbers for medical publications to those for all publications, the proportion indicates that the Arab world contradicts the global trend of increasing number of retractions, described by Steen et al: 20 in other words, the increase in the number of retractions from the Arab region may reflect the overall increase in absolute terms but not in relative terms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Aware that it has lagged behind, the Arab region is keen to step up its contributions to scientific literature and to bridge the regional and global gap. 18,19 Lest the pressure to publish should lead to misconduct and errors, eventually leading to retractions, it is important to highlight this threatwhich is why the present study sought to examine the current status of retractions from the Arab region.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retractions of research papers by authors from the Arab region (1998-2018)

AlRyalat¹,

Azzam²,

Massad³

et al. 2020

ESE

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Objective: To provide an overview of retractions of research papers contributed by authors from the Arab region. Method: Papers in which the first author was affiliated to an Arabian country were selected from the Retraction Watch database covering the period 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2018. The retrieved records were divided into nine categories based on the reasons for retraction. Results: The search yielded 322 retractions, and the most frequent reason for retraction was plagiarism (34.5%). The median time from publication to retraction was 14 (25%-75% percentile 5-30) months. The number of papers retracted each year as well as the number of papers published in a given year but subsequently retracted increased steadily over the 21 years. The proportion of retracted papers to the total number of published papers (0.17%) was higher than the global proportion and was the highest for Algeria (1%) and the lowest for Lebanon (0.03%). Of the countries within the Arab region, 12 out of 14 countries showed either plagiarism or duplication as the most common reason for retraction; however, the countries differed in terms of the number of retractions and the time from publishing to retraction. Conclusion: Plagiarism was the most common cause of retraction in the Arab countries. The increase in the number of papers retracted each year was probably because searches now extend farther in the past, whereas the increase in the number of papers published in a given year but subsequently retracted can be attributed to the overall increase in the number of papers published.

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“…Though the Middle East region has made signi cant advances in healthcare, the proportion of resources allocated to research and the research output is generally low in all elds, including critical care [1][2][3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Capacity-building Pilot Program to Increase Critical Care Research Productivity in the Middle East Region

Nazer

Kleinpell

Olsen

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Abstract Objective Though research is well established in the developed world, it lags behind in developing countries. We describe a multi-disciplinary, structured, mentor-based program that aimed to improve research skills and increase research productivity among critical care practitioners in the Middle East region. Results The program was conducted between October 2016 and September 2017, and enrolled 11 critical care practitioners (5 pharmacists and 6 physicians) with minimal research experience from 5 countries (Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, and Sudan).The program addressed three major factors that contribute to low research productivity in developing countries which include: lack of research knowledge and skills, lack of mentorship, and poor preparation of manuscripts. It started with a research proposal workshop and ended with a manuscript writing workshop, with monthly webinars throughout the year about research-related topics. The faculty consisted of 10 clinical instructors, among whom 7 also served as mentors, a biostatistician, and a medical editor. By the end of the program, 7 research projects and 5 manuscripts were completed. According to the program evaluation, participants agreed that the program improved their research skills and the quality of their research.

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Medical research productivity in the Arab countries: 2007-2016 bibliometric analysis

Cited by 60 publications

References 21 publications

The Arab Region's Contribution to Global Mental Health Research (2009–2018): A Bibliometric Analysis

The Arab Region's Contribution to Global Mental Health Research (2009–2018): A Bibliometric Analysis

Retractions of research papers by authors from the Arab region (1998-2018)

A Capacity-building Pilot Program to Increase Critical Care Research Productivity in the Middle East Region

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