Determining Thematic Clusters and Scientific Collaborations in Documents Related to Abortion in Islamic Countries

Abortion refers to the intentional or unintentional termination of a pregnancy before the fetus is able to survive outside the mother's body. The purpose of this study is a thematic analysis of abortion field by researchers in Islamic countries.

This descriptive-analytical study was performed with scientometric approach and using the co-word analysis and network analysis technique. Scientific products of Islamic countries in abortion field were extracted in Web of Science database from 1999 to 2018.

Most documents in the field of abortion were produced by three countries, Turkey, Iran and Egypt, respectively. High-productivity countries have better cooperation in the scientific network. Obstetrics and gynecology and the biology of reproduction are the most important topics for researchers. Out of 12 thematic clusters formed, the medical abortion was the main subject.

The majority of research approach was seen on Induced Abortion, with an emphasis on medical abortion. Some issues such as the threat of abortion, the clinical diagnosis of abortion, and the psychological, social, and legal aspects of the abortion, have received less attention