Contribution of Moroccan Neurosurgeons to the World Neurosurgical Data in PubMed: A Bibliometric Evaluation Over Time

Abstract

Background: Medical publications reflect the development of training, research, and health services. No objective data are available regarding neurosurgical publications from Morocco. Bibliometrics were used to evaluate the contribution of Moroccan neurosurgeons (MONSs) in neurosurgical journals worldwide and to discuss the strategies that can be applied to increase the quantity and quality of publications on this subject.

Methods: A literature search of reports by MONSs was performed using the PubMed database. The number and quality of the reports were evaluated with the impact factor of the neurosurgical journals and the h-index of each first author.

Results: The data from 174 identified studies reported from 1989 to 2018 were analyzed. MONSs have continued to report more studies every year worldwide. However, their contribution to neurosurgical journals has been gradually declining since 2012. Scientific publishing was limited to a few great neurosurgical departments and a few academic neurosurgeons in Morocco. Most of the reports were case reports, reported in the French language, included in non-neurosurgical journals, from single centers, and without international collaboration.

Conclusions: Academic neurosurgeons in Morocco should prepare their residents and young researchers on research methodology and medical writing. Moroccan neurosurgical research should be more focused on modern neurosurgical topics by highlighting our particularities. More high level of evidence studies should be reported in English-language neurosurgical journals with a high impact factor and good scientific reputation. MONSs should continue to collaborate more often with each other and with foreign centers to further improve the quality and number of international publications, regardless of the difficulties they face.

Keywords: Bibliometrics; Medical publication; Morocco; Neurosurgery; PubMed; Research; Scientific productivity.