Knowledge mapping of Nigeria’s scientific contribution to antimicrobial resistance research. A visualized investigation using VOS viewer and Cite Space

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna, Nigeria

2 2Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Chemical and Life sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria

3 Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary medicine, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.

Abstract

Aim: To identify the contribution and impact of Nigerian authors, institutions, and journal sources, assess the knowledge base, detect the trends regarding antimicrobial resistance research through bibliometric analysis. Methods: Data from a query of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) articles in the dimensions database (PubMed included) were subjected to bibliometric analysis (1972–2022). Bibliometric indicators, topic networks were established, and topic trends were analysed by frequency, relevance scores, and trends over time. Results and conclusion: A total of 0.2% of the papers on AMR published worldwide were written by authors or institutions from Nigeria. In 2021, publications grew by 13.6%, The vast majority of publications (57.18%) were in the field of medical and health sciences, with 2428 papers. The top journal for AMR papers with at least one Nigerian institution affiliation was African Journal of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology, which published 1.8% of these papers. Antimicrobial stewardship, clinical and laboratory practices on AMR, public health implications, traditional and molecular methods, and phytomedicine and drug discovery were prominent areas of focus for Nigerian researchers. This study provided a comprehensive overview of the AMR research output, highlighting the need of increased research capacity to address the burden of AMR in Nigeria. Because Nigeria is overly reliant on conventional methods of discovery and development, innovation is essential for the future of antibiotics.

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