Bibliometric analysis of Iranian Authors in High-Impact Medical Science Journals

This retrospective study aims to bibliometrically analyze Iranian publications in high-impact medical journals, considering the vital role of these journals in guiding scientific research. Articles by Iranian researchers in the top 10 medical specialty journals across 41 categories, published between 2013 and 2022, were extracted based on the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) in 2023. The publications of the top 5 Middle Eastern countries were also examined. A total of 3,737 articles were published by 35,650 authors (9.5 authors per paper). Teams wrote half of the articles of 3-6 members. The average number of citations per article was 37.43, and 58% of the articles had funding. Articles with funding received more citations than those without funding, and articles involving international collaboration received more citations than those involving national cooperation. Iran had the highest annual growth rate of publications among the top 5 Middle Eastern countries. Iranian authors were present in articles with international collaboration as first, corresponding, and last authors in 55.13%, 44.14%, and 32.15% of articles, respectively. Iranian researchers collaborated with 162 countries, with the USA (almost a quarter), England, and Canada as the main partners. China had the highest annual growth rate (26.7%) among major partners. Most publications were in nutrition and diet, tropical medicine, endocrinology, and metabolism. This study provides a comprehensive map for Iranian policymakers and researchers, as well as for policymakers in Middle Eastern countries, to inform the development of health research. It highlights the importance of international collaboration and funding.