Disability Research in Arab Countries: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

This study utilised a bibliometric approach to examine research patterns related to disability that have been conducted in Arab countries. A systematic search was conducted using two search strings encompassing “Arab countries” and “disability” in the titles of publications indexed in the Web of Science database. Overall trends, the most prominent authors based on the number of publications and citations, and maps representing co-authorship, country, and institution clusters were analysed. A total of 1205 publications from 1974 to 2023 were included for analysis, revealing an increasing number of publications over the years, particularly in the last 20 years. Notably, half of the publications were published in the last 6 years. Among the 22 Arab countries, 5 contributed to 64% of all the publications, with Saudi Arabia emerging as the most prolific country. Conversely, Comoros, Djibouti, and Mauritania did not have any publications in the dataset. Multiple sclerosis was the most extensively studied disability, accounting for 18.3% of the publications. Active research collaborations were observed both within and outside the Arab region. The citation rates were comparable to other research areas in Arab countries, with the most highly cited publication dating back to 1983. Our findings indicate that there is a need for more disability research in the region, especially in under-researched countries and disabilities.