Somaiyeh Marghoub Khajeh, Hamidreza Khakdoust, Jamal Rezaei Orimi, Aghabeiglooei Zahra, Azam Khosravi, Mohammad Hosein Asadi, Seyyed Amir Hosein Latifi, Mehdi Salehi, Seyed Abdollah Mahmoodi, Mahshid Mafi,
Volume 0, Issue 0 (9-2025)
Abstract
The study of scientific output in the humanities plays a crucial role in the scientific and cultural development of society. The main objective of this applied, descriptive research was to evaluate articles related to medical history in Iranian humanities journals published between 2001 and 2021 AD (1380 to 1400 SH). Using a quantitative content analysis method, 256 articles from 40 reputable journals were identified and analyzed. The findings indicate an increasing trend in the quantitative production of scientific output in the field of medical history over the past two decades. The most prevalent thematic areas were "health, hygiene, and nutrition" and "medical concepts, types of diseases, and treatment methods." Journal for the History of Science was the most prolific publication. The majority of articles were written in Persian and focused on the Islamic and Qajar periods. The keywords "Iran," "Reza Shah," and "famine" were the most frequently used. Conversely, researchers paid less attention to topics such as medicine in travelogues, medical ethics, women's medicine, and veterinary medicine. Similarly, historical periods like the Buyid, Seljuk, Zand, Afsharid, and contemporary (post-Islamic Revolution) eras received less scholarly focus. This study demonstrates that the scientific output in Iranian medical history has formed an evolving indigenous pattern, concentrated on the Islamic and Qajar periods and health-related topics. However, there is a clear need to address neglected periods and foster interdisciplinary approaches.
Zahra Aghabeiglooei, Roshanak Saghebi, Jamal Rezaei Orimi, Morteza Mojahedi,
Volume 18, Issue 1 (3-2025)
Abstract
The history of medicine during the Safavid period (907-1135 AH) in Iran, as one of the important periods, has always been the focus of researchers. The main objective of this study was to conduct a quantitative evaluation of articles related to the “history of medicine in the Safavid period” in Iran. This descriptive-analytical, applied study was conducted using a quantitative approach. The statistical population of the study comprised all scientific productions on the history of medicine in the Safavid period indexed in domestic and international scientific databases over 22 years, from 2001 to March 2024. During the period under review, a total of 247 articles in the field of the history of medicine in the Safavid period were published with the participation of 542 authors. In terms of thematic orientation, 18.2% of the published works were on the biographies of physicians, while research, translation, and editing of medical manuscripts ranked next with 16.1%. Among universities and scientific centers, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Islamic Azad University ranked first. Male participation accounted for approximately 60%, exceeding that of female authors, and about 68% of the works were the result of collaborative research. The Journal of Islamic and Iranian Traditional Medicine published the highest number of articles. The most common type of publication was original research articles. Content analysis showed that, despite significant growth in this research field, an excessive concentration on specific topics, such as physicians’ biographies, has limited scholarly attention to other dimensions of medical history in this period, highlighting the need for broader and more balanced research perspectives.
Zahra Aghabeiglooei, Jamal Rezaei Orimi, Seyed Mohammad Hashemimehr, Roshanak Saghebi, Morteza Mojahedi, Seyyed Amir Hosein Latifi, Mehdi Salehi, Seyed Abdollah Mahmood,
Volume 18, Issue 1 (3-2025)
Abstract
Evaluating and analyzing scientific productions play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of research and effectively managing research resources. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the content of theses in the field of the history of medical sciences in Iranian universities from 2013 to 2022. This applied study was conducted using the quantitative content analysis method. The findings revealed that the highest number of theses were completed in 2022 (19.2%), with topics related to traditional medicine and traditional pharmacy being the most prevalent. Descriptive and descriptive-analytical studies were the most common research methods. Moreover, the most frequent keywords included “Medical History”, “Traditional Medicine”, and “Iranian Medicine” and their Persian equivalents. Regarding historical periods, the Islamic period (from the emergence of Islam to the early Safavid era) accounted for the highest number of theses, while the contemporary period had the lowest. The results indicated a research focus on traditional medicine and the Islamic period, highlighting the need for further exploration of other historical periods and the use of qualitative methods to deepen understanding of historical complexities.
