The participation of international Authors in Journals indexed in Islamic World Science Citation Database (ISC)

Purpose: This study investigates and analyzes the extent of international scientific cooperation among researchers publishing in Iranian journals indexed in the ISC (Islamic World Science Citation Database) between 2020 and 2022.Methodology: This applied scientometric study examines all scientific articles with international co-authors published in Iranian journals indexed in the ISC database from 2020 to 2022. The data were analyzed using SPSS software, employing descriptive statistics to uncover patterns of international collaboration. Findings: A total of 195,377 articles from Iranian publications were indexed in the ISC database during the study period. Of these, 5,934 articles involved international co-authorship, representing 3% of the total articles each year. The distribution of these co-authored articles spanned 115 countries, with the United States, Canada, Australia, and Germany as the leading international partners. The analysis also revealed that the geographical reach of collaboration was broader in 2020 compared to 2022. The primary fields of international collaboration were medicine (22.19%), biochemistry, genetics, and biomolecular sciences (11.24%), engineering (11.1%), and agricultural and biological sciences (7.33%). Regionally, Europe (35.65%) was the most frequent partner, followed by Asia (30.43%), Africa (20.88%), the Americas (11.30%), and Oceania (1.74%). Conclusion: Developed countries, particularly the United States, have played a pivotal role in Iran's international scientific collaborations. To enhance global engagement and scientific development, Iran must continue to foster international partnerships and implement policies that support these collaborations.Value: The study underscores that developed countries, particularly the United States, are key partners in Iran's international scientific collaborations. To enhance global engagement and scientific development, Iran must implement policies that foster stronger international research partnerships and address barriers such as language and funding limitations.