Research Performance in Reproductive Biomedicine: A National Scientometrics Study

Document Type : Systematic Review

Authors

1 Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Applied Cell Sciences, Faculty of Basic Sciences and Advanced Medical Technologies, Royan Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Reproductive Imaging, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

4 Department of Medical Library and Information Sciences, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

5 Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Recent achievements in reproductive biomedicine have led to a revolution in infertility treatment. A comprehensive understanding
of the current status of reproductive medicine is necessary for the development of a forward-looking plan by
health policymakers, based on fundamental requirements. This study is a systematic review of the Scopus database to
assess reproductive biomedicine publications within Iran and compared to the rest of the world from 1990 to 2020. The
data were categorized by geographical distribution across five continents. National data were assessed in comparison
with the world and with neighboring countries. Finally, prominent national research institutes in the field of reproductive
biomedicine in Iran were identified, and their contributions to the field highlighted. Of the five continents, the highest
number of publications and citations is from Europe (36% publications and 41.5% citations). Corresponding numbers for
the other continents are 32 and 33% for America, and 26 and 18.4% for Asia respectively. The remaining publications and
citations were from Australia (3.8 and 4.1%) and Africa (2.6 and 3.1%). In a national analysis, the highest-ranking institutes
in reproductive biomedicine are in Tehran province (50.9% of all Iranian publications), Shiraz (8.8%), Yazd (7.8%),
Isfahan (7.1%), and Tabriz (6.9%). More specifically, Tehran University of Medical Science (15.9%), the Royan Institute
(12.2%), Shahid Beheshti Medical University (10.1%), Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences (6.9%), and
Tarbiat Modares University (6.7%) account for more than 50% of all Iranian scientific publications. In recent decades,
reproductive biomedical research has grown significantly in Iran. Reviewing publications in this field helps health policy
decision makers to monitor the direction of research and adjust investment in the treatment of infertility. In addition, it is
necessary to expand and organize inter-organizational and international collaborations to improve the research, gain the
benefits of different experiences, and engage in international multicenter studies.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  1. Katole A, Saoji AV. Prevalence of primary infertility and its associ­ated risk factors in urban population of central india: a commu­nity-based cross-sectional study. Indian J Community Med. 2019; 44(4): 337-341.
  2. Sun H, Gong TT, Jiang YT, Zhang S, Zhao YH, Wu QJ. Global, regional, and national prevalence and disability-adjusted life-years for infertility in 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: results from a global burden of disease study, 2017. Aging (Albany NY). 2019; 11(23): 10952-10991.
  3. Skakkebæk NE, Lindahl-Jacobsen R, Levine H, Andersson AM, Jørgensen N, Main KM, et al. Environmental factors in declining human fertility. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2022; 18(3): 139-157.
  4. Deyhoul N, Mohamaddoost T, Hosseini M. Infertility-related risk factors: a systematic review. Int J Womens Health Reprod Sci. 2017; 5(1): 24-29.
  5. Aimagambetova G, Issanov A, Terzic S, Bapayeva G, Ukybassova T, Baikoshkarova S, et al. The effect of psychological distress on IVF outcomes: Reality or speculations? PLoS One. 2020; 15(12): e0242024.
  6. Borumandnia N, Majd HA, Khadembashi N, Alaii H. Assessing the trend of infertility rate in 198 countries and territories in last dec­ades. Iran J Public Health. 2021; 50(8): 1735-1737.
  7. Paskar SS, Kalugina AS, Tkachuk AG. Trends in safe infertility treatment with assisted reproductive technologies. J Obstet Gy­naecol Res. 2020; 69(4): 83-88.
  8. De Geyter C. Assisted reproductive technology: impact on society and need for surveillance. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2019; 33(1): 3-
  9. Matorras R, Chaudhari VS, Roeder C, Schwarze JE, Bühler K, Hwang K, et al. Evaluation of costs associated with fertility treat­ment leading to a live birth after one fresh transfer: a global per­spective. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2023; 89: 102349.
  10. Murgia F, Corda V, Serrenti M, Usai V, Santoru ML, Hurt KJ, et al. Seminal fluid metabolomic markers of oligozoospermic infertility in humans. Metabolites. 2020; 10(2): 64.
  11. Cox CM, Thoma ME, Tchangalova N, Mburu G, Bornstein MJ, Johnson CL, et al. Infertility prevalence and the methods of estima­tion from 1990 to 2021: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod Open. 2022; 2022(4): hoac051.
  12. Borumandnia N, Majd HA, Khadembashi N, Alaii H. Worldwide trend analysis of primary and secondary infertility rates over past decades: a cross-sectional study. Int J Reprod Biomed. 2022; 20(1): 37-46.
  13. Abedini M, Ghaheri A, Omani Samani R. Assisted reproductive technology in iran: the first national report on centers, 2011. Int J Fertil Steril. 2016; 10(3): 283-289.
  14. Aflatoonian A. History of in vitro fertilization and related techniques in Iran: the view of professor Safaa Al-Hasani. Int J Reprod Bi­omed. 2021; 19(1): 1-4.
  15. Moridi A, Roozbeh N, Yaghoobi H, Soltani S, Dashti S, Shahrahm­ani N, et al. Etiology and risk factors associated with infertility. Int J Women’s Health Reprod Sci. 2019; 7(3): 346-353.
  16. Baskaran S, Agarwal A, Panner Selvam MK, Finelli R, Robert KA, Iovine C, et al. Tracking research trends and hotspots in sperm DNA fragmentation testing for the evaluation of male infertility: a scientometric analysis. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2019; 17(1): 110.
  17. Agarwal A, Baskaran S, Panner Selvam MK, Finelli R, Barbarosie C, Robert KA, et al. Scientific landscape of oxidative stress in male reproductive research: a scientometric study. Free Radic Biol Med. 2020; 156: 36-44.
  18. Saberi S, Karamzadeh R, Moghadam P, Kadivari M, Behbahani BE, Heydari Z, et al. Research performance in stem cell science and regenerative medicine in Iran: a national comprehensive ob­servation. Arch Iran Med. 2019; 22(6): 318-327.
  19. Agarwal A, Panner Selvam MK, Baskaran S, Finelli R, Leisegang K, Barbăroșie C, et al. A scientometric analysis of research pub­lications on male infertility and assisted reproductive technology. Andrologia. 2021; 53(1): e13842.
  20. Akhondzadeh S, Ebadifar A, Baradaran Eftekhari M, Falahat K. Medical science and research in Iran. Arch Iran Med. 2017; 20(11): 665-672.
  21. Baskaran S, Agarwal A, Leisegang K, Pushparaj PN, Panner Sel­vam MK, Henkel R. An in-depth bibliometric analysis and current perspective on male infertility research. World J Mens Health. 2021; 39(2): 302-314.
  22. Agarwal A, Selvam MKP, Baskaran S, Finelli R, Leisegang K, Barbăroșie C, et al. Highly cited articles in the field of male infertility and antioxidants: a scientometric analysis. World J Mens Health. 2021; 39(4): 760-775.
  23. Morshed-Behbahani B, Lamyian M, Joulaei H, Montazeri A. Analy­sis and exploration of infertility policies in Iran: a study protocol. Health Res Policy Syst. 2020; 18(1): 5.
  24. Hezavehei M, Shokoohian B, Nasr-Esfahani MH, Shpichka A, Timashev P, Shahverdi AH, et al. Possible male reproduction com­plications after coronavirus pandemic. Cell J. 2021; 23(4): 382- 388.
  25. Nateghi R, Ghashghaei SH, Shokoohian B, Hezavehei M, Ebra­himi B, Shahverdi AH, et al. Female reproductive health in SARS-CoV-2 pandemic era. Int J Fertil Steril. 2021; 15(4): 241-245.
  26. Agarwal A, Finelli R, Durairajanayagam D, Leisegang K, Henkel R, Salvio G, et al. Comprehensive analysis of global research on human varicocele: a scientometric approach. World J Mens Health. 2022; 40(4): 636-652.
  27. Shahriari Felordi M, Memarnejadian A, Najimi M, Vosough M. Is There any alternative receptor for SARS-CoV-2? Cell J. 2021; 23(2): 247-250.
  28. Khoshdel-Rad N, Zahmatkesh E, Shpichka A, Timashev P, Vo­sough M. Outbreak of chronic renal failure: will this be a delayed heritage of COVID-19? J Nephrol. 2021; 34(1): 3-5.

  1. Matorras R, Chaudhari VS, Roeder C, Schwarze JE, Bühler K, Hwang K, et al. Evaluation of costs associated with fertility treat­ment leading to a live birth after one fresh transfer: a global per­spective. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2023; 89: 102349.
  2. Murgia F, Corda V, Serrenti M, Usai V, Santoru ML, Hurt KJ, et al. Seminal fluid metabolomic markers of oligozoospermic infertility in humans. Metabolites. 2020; 10(2): 64.
  3. Cox CM, Thoma ME, Tchangalova N, Mburu G, Bornstein MJ, Johnson CL, et al. Infertility prevalence and the methods of estima­tion from 1990 to 2021: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod Open. 2022; 2022(4): hoac051.
  4. Borumandnia N, Majd HA, Khadembashi N, Alaii H. Worldwide trend analysis of primary and secondary infertility rates over past decades: a cross-sectional study. Int J Reprod Biomed. 2022; 20(1): 37-46.
  5. Abedini M, Ghaheri A, Omani Samani R. Assisted reproductive technology in iran: the first national report on centers, 2011. Int J Fertil Steril. 2016; 10(3): 283-289.
  6. Aflatoonian A. History of in vitro fertilization and related techniques in Iran: the view of professor Safaa Al-Hasani. Int J Reprod Bi­omed. 2021; 19(1): 1-4.
  7. Moridi A, Roozbeh N, Yaghoobi H, Soltani S, Dashti S, Shahrahm­ani N, et al. Etiology and risk factors associated with infertility. Int J Women’s Health Reprod Sci. 2019; 7(3): 346-353.
  8. Baskaran S, Agarwal A, Panner Selvam MK, Finelli R, Robert KA, Iovine C, et al. Tracking research trends and hotspots in sperm DNA fragmentation testing for the evaluation of male infertility: a scientometric analysis. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2019; 17(1): 110.
  9. Agarwal A, Baskaran S, Panner Selvam MK, Finelli R, Barbarosie C, Robert KA, et al. Scientific landscape of oxidative stress in male reproductive research: a scientometric study. Free Radic Biol Med. 2020; 156: 36-44.
  10. Saberi S, Karamzadeh R, Moghadam P, Kadivari M, Behbahani BE, Heydari Z, et al. Research performance in stem cell science and regenerative medicine in Iran: a national comprehensive ob­servation. Arch Iran Med. 2019; 22(6): 318-327.
  11. Agarwal A, Panner Selvam MK, Baskaran S, Finelli R, Leisegang K, Barbăroșie C, et al. A scientometric analysis of research pub­lications on male infertility and assisted reproductive technology. Andrologia. 2021; 53(1): e13842.
  12. Akhondzadeh S, Ebadifar A, Baradaran Eftekhari M, Falahat K. Medical science and research in Iran. Arch Iran Med. 2017; 20(11): 665-672.
  13. Baskaran S, Agarwal A, Leisegang K, Pushparaj PN, Panner Sel­vam MK, Henkel R. An in-depth bibliometric analysis and current perspective on male infertility research. World J Mens Health. 2021; 39(2): 302-314.
  14. Agarwal A, Selvam MKP, Baskaran S, Finelli R, Leisegang K, Barbăroșie C, et al. Highly cited articles in the field of male infertility and antioxidants: a scientometric analysis. World J Mens Health. 2021; 39(4): 760-775.
  15. Morshed-Behbahani B, Lamyian M, Joulaei H, Montazeri A. Analy­sis and exploration of infertility policies in Iran: a study protocol. Health Res Policy Syst. 2020; 18(1): 5.
  16. Hezavehei M, Shokoohian B, Nasr-Esfahani MH, Shpichka A, Timashev P, Shahverdi AH, et al. Possible male reproduction com­plications after coronavirus pandemic. Cell J. 2021; 23(4): 382- 388.
  17. Nateghi R, Ghashghaei SH, Shokoohian B, Hezavehei M, Ebra­himi B, Shahverdi AH, et al. Female reproductive health in SARS-CoV-2 pandemic era. Int J Fertil Steril. 2021; 15(4): 241-245.
  18. Agarwal A, Finelli R, Durairajanayagam D, Leisegang K, Henkel R, Salvio G, et al. Comprehensive analysis of global research on human varicocele: a scientometric approach. World J Mens Health. 2022; 40(4): 636-652.
  19. Shahriari Felordi M, Memarnejadian A, Najimi M, Vosough M. Is There any alternative receptor for SARS-CoV-2? Cell J. 2021; 23(2): 247-250.
  20. Khoshdel-Rad N, Zahmatkesh E, Shpichka A, Timashev P, Vo­sough M. Outbreak of chronic renal failure: will this be a delayed heritage of COVID-19? J Nephrol. 2021; 34(1): 3-5.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics