title: Ten-year analysis of hepatitis-related papers in the Middle East: a web of science-based scientometric study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the Middle East (ME), the proper understanding of hepatitis, especially viral hepatitis, is considered to be extremely important. However, no published paper has investigated the status of hepatitis-related research in the ME. A scientometric analysis based on the Web of Science database was conducted on hepatitis-related papers in the ME to determine the current status of research on this topic.
  
  
  METHODS
  A scientometric analysis using the Web of Science database, specifically articles from the Expanded Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index, was conducted on work published between 2005 and 2014 using the keyword "hepatitis" in conjunction with the names of countries in the ME.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 103,096 papers that used the word "hepatitis" in their title, abstract, or keywords, only 6,540 papers (6.34%) were associated with countries in the ME. Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Israel, and Saudi Arabia were the top five countries in which hepatitis-related papers were published. Most papers on hepatitis A, B, and D and autoimmune hepatitis were published in Turkey, and most papers on hepatitis C were published in Egypt.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe that both the quantity and the quality of hepatitis-related papers in this region should be improved. Implementing multicenter and international research projects, holding conferences and congress meetings, conducting educational workshops, and establishing high-quality medical research journals in the region will help countries in the ME address this issue effectively.
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases (BRCGL), Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Scientometrics Institute of Middle East Liver Diseases (MELD) Center, Tehran, IR Iran. Alavian@thc.ir.
authors.forename: Mohammad Saeid
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Rezaee Zavareh
authors.forename: Seyed Moayed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Alavian
mesh_terms: D015706:Bibliometrics; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D006505:Hepatitis; D006506:Hepatitis A; D006509:Hepatitis B; D006526:Hepatitis C; D003699:Hepatitis D; D019693:Hepatitis, Autoimmune; D006801:Humans; D008877:Middle East; D010506:Periodicals as Topic