Panel data analysis of social factors affecting the scientific production in social sciences field in the Middle East

Background and aim: The aim of this research is to determine the social factors affecting the level of scientific production in the field of social sciences in the Middle East using panel data analysis. This study attempts to analyze the role of variables such as women's education, equal educational opportunities, social justice, access to digital governance, population, and life expectancy in enhancing scientific production. Materials and methods: This is a quantitative and applied research that uses library and documentary methods to collect the required data from reputable international sources. The statistical population includes 12 selected Middle East countries with full access to data between 2011 and 2021. Data related to social variables were extracted from the Social Progress Index and the World Bank, and scientific production data were extracted from the Scimago database. The panel data econometric method was used to analyze the data with statistical tests such as Hadri unit root, F-limer test, Hausman, and LR variance heterogeneity, and the final model was estimated using EViews 12 software based on fixed effects model. Findings: The research findings showed that increasing the number of women with higher education has a positive and significant impact on scientific production. Furthermore, equal educational opportunities, social justice, access to digital governance, population growth, and life expectancy were also identified as effective and significant variables in increasing scientific production. Among them, women's higher education played the most significant role with the highest impact coefficient (7.554). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that various social and structural factors have a significant impact on the level of scientific production in the studied countries. In particular, the increase in scientific participation of women with higher education and equal educational opportunities have been significantly associated with the growth of scientific production.