Volume 11, Issue 1 (Spring 2025 2025)
JMIS 2025, 11(1): 77-92 |
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Ethics code: IR.IUMS.REC.1402.732
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Nezhad-Matouri R, Razmgir M, Leila Nemati-Anaraki L. Research productivity and COVID-19 outcomes in the Middle East: A bibliometric-statistical analysis of the gap between scientific data and mortality. JMIS 2025; 11 (1) :77-92
URL: http://jmis.hums.ac.ir/article-1-600-en.html
URL: http://jmis.hums.ac.ir/article-1-600-en.html
Department of Medical Library and Information Sciences, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract: (2064 Views)
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has engendered unprecedented health and economic challenges across the Middle East. Although scientific research plays a pivotal role in responding to this crisis, the relationship between scientific output and clinical outcomes such as mortality in this region has not been systematically investigated. This study examines the association between bibliometric indicators of COVID-19-related scientific publications and mortality rates across Middle Eastern countries.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study utilized scientific publication data from the Scopus database for diabetes-related research (2019–2023) and mortality data for Middle Eastern countries obtained from the World Health Organization. Economic data were extracted from the World Bank. The relationships between variables were analyzed using Spearman’s correlation coefficient in RStudio software.
Results: Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia demonstrated the highest volume of scientific output. However, no statistically significant correlation was observed between the volume of scientific publications, citation counts, average citations per article, and mortality rates at the regional level. A significant association between certain research indicators and mortality was found only in Israel.
Discussion: The findings indicate that the volume of scientific publications alone is not associated with reduced COVID-19 mortality in the Middle East. These results emphasize the necessity of shifting from purely quantitative research approaches toward targeted, high-quality, and applied research that directly addresses the needs of regional healthcare systems. Strengthening healthcare infrastructure and enhancing international collaborations are vital for translating knowledge into effective public health actions.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study utilized scientific publication data from the Scopus database for diabetes-related research (2019–2023) and mortality data for Middle Eastern countries obtained from the World Health Organization. Economic data were extracted from the World Bank. The relationships between variables were analyzed using Spearman’s correlation coefficient in RStudio software.
Results: Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia demonstrated the highest volume of scientific output. However, no statistically significant correlation was observed between the volume of scientific publications, citation counts, average citations per article, and mortality rates at the regional level. A significant association between certain research indicators and mortality was found only in Israel.
Discussion: The findings indicate that the volume of scientific publications alone is not associated with reduced COVID-19 mortality in the Middle East. These results emphasize the necessity of shifting from purely quantitative research approaches toward targeted, high-quality, and applied research that directly addresses the needs of regional healthcare systems. Strengthening healthcare infrastructure and enhancing international collaborations are vital for translating knowledge into effective public health actions.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/11/1 | Accepted: 2025/11/22 | Published: 2025/03/21
Received: 2025/11/1 | Accepted: 2025/11/22 | Published: 2025/03/21
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