A Bibliometric Study of Infectious Diseases Research in Pakistan (2000-2020): A Call for Increased Productivity

Abstract

Background: Despite numerous developments, infectious diseases remain a complex public health threat and this situation is worst in low-income countries. Pakistan has enormous rising burden of infectious diseases and is further challenged by recent COVID-19. Research trends and performance provide foundation for disease counter measures. However, limited literature from the region has explored the evolutionary process of infectious disease literature. Objective: This bibliometric study aimed to evaluate the credible literature on infectious diseases from Pakistan. Methods: This was a descriptive exploratory study. All types of publications from 2000 to 2020 were extracted from the Web of Science in the subject category of infectious diseases from Pakistan. Later, “R Bibliometrix” package was used for detailed analysis using a comprehensive range of indicators. Results: Pakistan was ranked 52nd with 1298 documents from 100 sources, representing 0.38% of global share. Authors were from 117 countries led by USA and UK. Recent decade contributed 84% of documents. Articles (65.1 %) were the most common publication type. Aga Khan University and Hospital were major contributors. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan was the only major funding source from Pakistan. Journal 'International Journal of Infectious Diseases' was the leading and consistent source over time. None of the local journals was found to be a major contributor. Conclusion: Contribution from Pakistan was found to be much lower than its burden of infectious diseases and expected scholarly magnitude. A prioritized response and increased productivity from research community is recommended.