Analysis of Co-authorship and Scientific Co-operation Network in Medical Engineering from the ISI Database (2002-2011)

This research is an attempt to analyze scientific co-authorship in medical engineering in the ISI database in Iran، during the period 2002-2011. The research method used was descriptive-analytical survey in which scientometrics indicators are used in the analysis of co-authorship networks by applying NodeXL Software. Relevant research consisted of 55 Iranian research and academic outputs in medical engineering which are indexed in the Web of Science database during 2002 to 2011 years. Finding showed that the best represented sub-subject areas were materials science (%41/81) and biophysics (%14/54). Iran’s international cooperation (41. 81%) exceeded it’s national (38. 18%) and (20%) domestic ones. Iran has had broad scientific collaborations with Canada، UK، South Korea، Singapore and America. Hamid Mirzadeh، affiliated to Amirkabir University of Technology، and Mohammad Parnianpour، affiliated to Sharif University of Technology، were the most prolific authors and records with 3، 4 or 5 authors، were more numerous than the rest. No significant relationship was found between the number of co-authors، and citation absorption. Network density for Iranian cooperation with other countries was valued at 0/066. Iran holds the 28th rank globally and is ranked third in southwest Asia. By analyzing the results of this research، we can identify Iran''s position in the world and Southwest Asia in medical engineering and، according to our twenty-years vision document for the advance of technology، we recommend expansion in cooperation and the necessary investments and promoting community health.