Publication output of Riyadh government hospitals: A bibliometric analysis 2006–2016

Objective: The objective of this study was to perform and showcase a bibliometric analysis that demonstrates a quantitative research publication output in government hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between 2006 and 2016. Methods: Scopus database was used for this bibliometric analysis in order to gather information relative to research publication output and types of publications. Data analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel. Results: A total of 8420 publications were retrieved between 2006 and 2016. King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre contributed 3710 (44.06%) of the total publications followed by King Khalid University Hospital with 1293 (15.35%), while King Saud Medical City had 56 (0.66%) publications and King Salman Hospital had only 17 (0.20%). Articles were the most utilised form of publication adding up to 6631 (78%), followed by 779 (9.25%) reviews and 410 (4.86%) letters. The least used forms of publication were short surveys with 19 (0.22%) publications and books at 5 (0.05%). Conclusion: Saudi Arabia is growing and improving in terms of research publication output from government hospitals in Riyadh.