@article {Alsaif524, author = {Fahad M. Alsaif and Sarah F. Alsukait and Alaa B. Alsaad and Nuha A. Alfurayh and Rama A. Alhallaf and Sara A. Alhaddab and Hend M. Alotaibi}, title = {Publications pattern of dermatology research in Saudi Arabia}, volume = {41}, number = {5}, pages = {524--531}, year = {2020}, doi = {10.15537/smj.2020.5.25051}, publisher = {Saudi Medical Journal}, abstract = {Objectives: To analyze the quantity and characteristics of Saudi Arabia{\textquoteright}s (SA{\textquoteright}s) dermatology research publications throughout the years.Methods: A literature search was conducted between October 2018 and July 2019 in the Dermatology Department, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. PubMed was used as a search engine, to retrieve dermatology-related publications in SA - from the date of the first article publication in 1982 to December 31, 2018.Results: Five hundred publications were included. Two-thirds of them were written between 2010 and 2018. Approximately 50\% were from the central region and only 3\% were multiregional studies. Funding support was described in 13\% of these publications. The top 5 most-researched fields were infectious disorders (12\%), genodermatosis (10\%), hypopigmentation disorders (9.4\%), neoplastic disorders (9\%), and hair disorders (7\%). Two-thirds of the publications were observational studies, and mostly case reports (44\%).Conclusion: Dermatology research in SA has increased over the past decade. However, the quality of research remains inadequate. Saudi Arabia{\textquoteright}s dermatology research output is affected by the availability of funding and national research projects, which could improve the studies{\textquoteright} quality. We recommend the establishment of data registry units that can aid researchers in producing high-quality studies, while encouraging the collaboration of different centers in various SA regions (and abroad) to conduct research with generalizable results.}, issn = {0379-5284}, URL = {https://smj.org.sa/content/41/5/524}, eprint = {https://smj.org.sa/content/41/5/524.full.pdf}, journal = {Saudi Medical Journal} }