This study aimed to map publication trends, topical focus, study designs, and institutional concentration in otology research in Saudi Arabia from 1978 to 2024 to deduce any topical, regional, institutional, or funding disparities in the field of otology in the country.
No actionable change — this is a bibliometric scoping review describing research trends in Saudi Arabian otology; it generates no clinical guidance.
Understanding gaps and growth patterns in regional otology research can help funders and institutions direct future investment toward underexplored ear-disease topics in Saudi Arabia.
- 01Scoping review spans 46 years (1978–2024) of Saudi Arabian otology publications.
- 02ICD-11 coding was used to map research topics to standardised disease categories.
- 03Negative binomial modelling was applied to analyse publication-count trends over time.
- 04Identifies institutional patterns and potential research gaps in the region.
- 05No patient-level clinical data were analysed.
- PMID
- 42345633
- DOI
- 10.3390/audiolres16030094.
- Journal
- Audiology Research
- Publication type
- review
- Evidence level
- 2a
- Population
- Published otology research originating from Saudi Arabian institutions, 1978–2024
- Intervention
- Bibliometric and scoping analysis using ICD-11 mapping and negative binomial modelling
Primary outcomes
Temporal publication trends in Saudi Arabian otology research; Topical distribution mapped via ICD-11 coding; Institutional contribution patterns