Scientific Productivity of Dentistry in Iranian Journals during 1978-2006

Abstract

This investigation is an attempt to study growth and development of scientific products in dentistry using scientometrics in Iran during 1978-2006. In this project, 2726 dentistry articles published in Iranian journals during a specific period; including Persian and English articles, were collected. Then subjects of all articles were specified using MESH and NLM classification systems. In Persian dentistry journals, dentistry journal of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science has published 804 articles during a specific period that includes 35/07% of all articles; therefore it falls in the first rank. Among 2726 articles collected, 2102 Persian articles and 95 English articles were written by a team and 520 Persian articles and 9 English articles by individuals. Maximum number of articles belonged to Prosthodontics and minimum number of articles were on Oral and Maxillofacial pathology. Scientific outputs in dentistry in Iran have undergone an ascending growth since 2000 and it reached its highest level with 360 scientific articles in 2006. This investigation indicates the evolutionary trend and dramatic growth in number of dentistry articles published in Iranian journals.