title: A scientometric study of general internal medicine domain among muslim countries of middle East (1991 - 2011).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The position of General Internal Medicine in the Islamic countries in the Middle East has been investigated in the present study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The scientific productions of the countries in the area on Web of science database during 1990-2011 constitute were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The result of the survey showed that the share of these countries in world scientific productions is very low. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran are the first to third ones in this domain in order. In view of annual growth rate, Kuwait having high growth rate, is the first one. Libya and Syria are the next ones. The scientific poverty line of Islamic countries in the area was surveyed. The result showed that in view of the scientific poverty line, the highest is Kuwait with the population of 0.04 percent of the world. Next to it, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are the second and third ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this research showed that the share of Islamic countries in the Middle East in scientific production of this medicine domain is very low. It needs to be paid more attention by the countries in the area.
authors.affiliation: Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Niloofar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hodhodinezhad
authors.forename: Razieh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zahedi
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ashrafi-rizzi
authors.forename: Asadollah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shams
keywords: General Internal Medicine; Middle East countries; Muslim Countries; Scientometrics; Web of Science; scientific production