Thematic Map of Articles Pertaining to Addiction Using Social Network Analysis in MEDLINE Database

With graphical mapping of a scientific field, it is facilitated to better and more accurately identify that branch of human knowledge and convert its abstract concept to a more objective concept. The aim of this study is to draw the thematic map of addiction articles.
The present study was carried out with a scientific approach and falls within the category of applied research. The descriptors of the related articles were extracted with a search for the term «behavior, addictive» in the subject heading "mesh" of the PubMed website in the period of 2005 to 2014. The data analysis and map drawing were conducted by using Ucinet, Netdraw, and Ravar Matrix software.
The growth of scientific production in the field of addiction has witnessed an increasing trend throughout the period of the study. Considering the centrality indices, such concepts as disorders pertaining to substance abuse, smoking, tobacco, and so on are the most frequently used topics in this field.
The use of social network analysis indices in the analysis of scientific maps is effective. The new knowledge and insight gained through the analysis of thematic maps are of great help to policy-makers in this filed to make appropriate decisions for the promotion of scholarly products.