Beyond the blockade: Exploring research outputs in the Gaza strip

Beyond the blockade: Exploring research outputs in the Gaza strip | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Beyond the blockade: Exploring research outputs in the Gaza strip Ridha Mhamdi This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4417530/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The objective of this paper is to investigate the scholarly output of researchers from the Gaza Strip. Utilizing the Scopus database, we retrieved 4076 documents authored by Gaza-based researchers, focusing on research articles and reviews. Through bibliometric analysis using SciVal and VOSviewer, we examined publication and citation patterns, subject areas and topics, prolific authors, highly cited papers, institutional dynamics, and international collaboration. Our findings reveal a remarkable scholarly engagement from Gaza despite adversities, with a steady increase in annual publications, notably surpassing 400 publications per year in 2022 and 2023. The citations count witnessed a significant rise, reflecting an increasing visibility and influence of Gaza's research output worldwide. Notably, the Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) exceeded the global average, highlighting the quality and impact of Gaza's publications. Gaza's research spans diverse subject areas, with Medicine, Engineering, Materials Science, and Physics emerging as the most prolific. Topics such as construction engineering, public health, and mathematics demonstrate the breadth and significance of research conducted in the region. The Islamic University of Gaza, Al-Azhar University of Gaza, and Al-Aqsa University have demonstrated resilience amidst conflict, contributing significantly to scholarly output despite facing destruction and targeting. Prolific authors like Tayeh B.A., Alajerami Y.S.M., and Awadallah M.A. have made substantial contributions across various disciplines, showcasing Gaza's potential and dedication to research. International collaboration has been pivotal, with collaborations spanning 159 countries. However, constraints imposed by the siege and occupation have hindered the development of robust local academic networks, reflected in lower FWCI scores associated with national and institutional collaborations. These findings can help raise awareness of the valuable contributions being made by Gazan researchers and advocate for increased recognition and support for their work. Library Science Bibliometrics Gaza Publication and citation Research impact Topics Visibility Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 1. Introduction The Gaza Strip is a territory in Palestine that has been a subject of geopolitical disputes since 1948 (Golan 2023 ). On the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Gaza is bordered by Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north. It has faced challenges such as denial of Palestinian statehood, Israeli military occupation, and refugee status (Ali 2023 ). Over the past three decades, Gaza has been separated and confined, creating a state of exception (Joudeh 2021 ). The conflict has led to a humanitarian crisis, with restrictions on movement, high unemployment rates, poverty, and poor health conditions (Awadallah and Elessi 2021 ; Beiraghdar et al. 2023 ; Farhat et al. 2023 ; Latifi-Pour and Zavareh 2023 ; Alokaily 2024 ). Containing 2 million people inside a 365 km² enclave, it has been under a land, sea, and air siege imposed by Israel and Egypt since 2007 (Borralho 2022 ). The embargo imposed on Gaza by Israel has transformed the lives of its inhabitants, leading to a reconfiguration of the economy and dependence on underground conduits for basic supplies (Pelham 2014 ). Israel’s aim in imposing the siege was to reduce the size of Gaza’s population by encouraging emigration (Farhat et al. 2023 ). This siege has profoundly impacted all facets of life in Gaza, including education, research, and academic endeavors (Barakat et al. 2020 ; Alarabeed 2024 ). Despite structural limitations and resource constraints, universities in Gaza stand as bastions of resilience, embodying the aspirations of the Palestinian people for knowledge, empowerment, and self-determination. Gaza has endured several Israeli military operations, 2008–2009, 2014, 2018–2019, 2021, and 2023–2024. The ongoing conflict has created a challenging environment for higher education and research, with a simultaneous process of construction and destruction undermining academic functioning (Jebril 2023 ; Milton et al. 2023 ). On 9 October 2023, Israel declared a devastating war on Hamas and imposed a total blockade of the Gaza Strip. As of January 2024, Israel's offensive has either damaged or destroyed 70–80% of all buildings in northern Gaza, including universities (Chase 2024 ). More than 85% of Palestinians in Gaza, or around 1.9 million people, were internally displaced, and one out of every 100 inhabitants were killed as of January 2024 (Bland 2024 ). The United Nations has warned that Gaza could soon be uninhabitable (Nijim 2023 ). The objective of this work is to explore the bibliometric profile of the scientific research in Gaza in order to provide insights into the impact and visibility of Gaza's research on the global stage. This can help raise awareness of the valuable contributions being made by Gazan researchers and advocate for increased recognition and support for their work. This can inform initiatives aimed at supporting and strengthening Gaza's research ecosystem, ultimately empowering Gazan researchers to contribute meaningfully to global scientific progress and address the pressing challenges facing their communities. 2. Methods 2.1 Document collection The Scopus database was utilized to retrieve documents authored by researchers from the Gaza Strip using the search query “Gaza” in the search field “Affiliation.” However, it was observed that some documents were unrelated to the Gaza Strip but instead pertained to the province of Gaza in Mozambique. To refine our search, we added a filtering search field "AND NOT 'Mozambique'" in "Affiliation Country." The Scopus document search was conducted on February 5th, 2024, resulting in 4826 documents, comprising 3878 articles, 198 reviews, 103 book chapters, 6 books, 60 letters, and 520 conference papers. More than 98% of these documents were in English. A final dataset of 4076 documents, including only research articles and reviews, was selected for bibliometric analysis. The overall search string used is (AFFIL(Gaza) AND NOT AFFILCOUNTRY(Mozambique)) AND (LIMIT-TO(DOCTYPE, "ar") OR LIMIT-TO(DOCTYPE, "re")). 2.2 Data analysis The final dataset was exported to SciVal, which can be accessed by registering at www.scival.com . SciVal is a research analytics tool developed by Elsevier that offers metrics and insights into research performance (Nadi-Ravandi and Batooli 2022 ; Mhamdi 2023 ). Bibliometric analysis involved examining publication and citation metrics, subject areas and prominent topics, prolific authors, most cited papers, and international collaboration. SciVal results were exported to Microsoft Excel for visualization. The country collaboration network was constructed using VOSviewer ( www.vosviewer.com ), a specialized bibliometric analysis tool commonly used to visualize bibliometric networks (Sun and Yuan 2020 ; Mhamdi 2023 ; Yusnaini et al. 2023 ). 3. Results and Discussion 3.1 Publication and citation patterns The number of publications from the Gaza Strip retrieved from the Scopus database amassed a total of 4076 documents (3878 articles and 198 reviews), reflecting a notable scholarly output from the region. Publication and citation metrics during the time span covered by SciVal (1996–2023) are reported in Fig. 1 . A steady increase in annual publications is observed, reaching more than 400 publications per year in 2022 and 2023. The upward trend in annual publications, particularly since 2020, indicates an increasing scholarly engagement despite all the constraints faced by researchers in the region. The citations count also significantly increased, notably in recent years, amassing a total of 57,294 citations from 1996 to 2023. The average citations per paper was 16.8. The Field-weighted Citation Impact (FWCI), which considers average citation rates in the field providing a normalized impact measure, also significantly increased. It surpassed the threshold value (1.0) since 2019, indicating that Gaza’s publications have a citation impact significantly higher than the global average of the Scopus database. The average FWCI score during the last 10 years (2013–2022) registered at 1.54, and that of the last five complete years (2018–2022) registered at 1.9. This surge in citation impact not only reflects the quality and significance of the research conducted in the region but also demonstrates its increasing visibility and influence worldwide. The proportions of documents published in the top journal CiteScore percentiles during the last ten years were 14.6% and 36.3% in the top 10% and top 25% percentiles, respectively (Fig. 1d). The CiteScore of Scopus differs from the Impact Factor of Clarivate by relying on a 4-year citation window rather than a 2-year one. This extended timeframe accommodates more recent years' citations, potentially rendering CiteScore more robust and stable (Fernandez-Llimos 2018 ). The distribution of documents across top journal CiteScore percentiles indicates a notable presence of high-quality research output from Gaza in reputable academic journals. This suggests that Gaza's researchers are not only producing a substantial volume of research but are also publishing in journals with high impact and visibility within their respective fields. Moreover, Gaza’s publications are being cited by international patents. During the last decade (2013–2022), scholarly outputs from the Gaza Strip were cited 71 times in a total of 68 international patents: United States of America (55), World Intellectual Property Organization (7), European Patent Office (4), and Japan (2). Figure 2 illustrates the evolution of the number of patents citing scholarly outputs from the Gaza Strip. 3.2 Subject areas and topics Gaza’s publications span several Scopus subject areas, with Medicine (23.4%), Engineering (23%), Materials Science (18%), Physics and Astronomy (18%), Environmental Science (11.1%), Chemistry (10.7%) and Computer Science (10.5%) emerging as the most prolific (Fig. 3 ). The SciVal's topic classification offers a potent tool for navigating the intricate scientific research landscape of Gaza. With around 96,000 topics formed through direct citation linking, Gaza’s researchers contributed to 1068 topics and 505 topic clusters over the last 10 years (Table 1 ). Most topic clusters are exhibiting high prominence, determined by citation count, Scopus view count, and average journal CiteScore, giving a nuanced understanding of topic's momentum. The most prolific topic cluster is [Concretes; Compressive Strength; Cements] with 155 papers and FWCI of 5.37, and a 100% prominence percentile, highlighting an area of active research. This suggests that Gaza's researchers are actively addressing issues related to infrastructure development and building resilience in the face of societal challenges (Almeshal et al. 2022 ; Elsayed et al. 2022 ; Tayeh et al. 2022c , 2022a , b ). The second prolific topic cluster is [Photonic Crystals; Photonics; Waveguides] with 88 papers and a FWCI score of 1.47 (Daher et al. 2022 ; Taya et al. 2022b , 2022c , a ). Other topic clusters such as [COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Coronavirus], [X Rays; Fluorescence; Shielding], [Plasmons; Metamaterials; Surface Plasmon Resonance], [Optimization; Algorithms; Evolutionary Algorithms] and [Fractional; Fractional Order; Derivatives] are making a substantial contribution to their respective fields since they exhibit high FWCI scores (> 2). This indicates a forward-looking approach to research, with an emphasis on exploring new frontiers and pushing the boundaries of knowledge in science and technology. By actively engaging with diverse research themes and demonstrating high levels of prominence and citation impact, Gaza's researchers are making significant contributions to their respective fields and enhancing the region's reputation as a hub of scientific inquiry and innovation. Table 1 Top 30 topic clusters by document number (2013–2022). Topic Cluster Scholarly Output Field-Weighted Citation Impact* Prominence** percentile Concretes; Compressive Strength; Cements 155 5.37 100 Photonic Crystals; Photonics; Waveguides 88 1.47 83 COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Coronavirus 47 2.63 100 X Rays; Fluorescence; Shielding 45 3.31 61 Plasmons; Metamaterials; Surface Plasmon Resonance 39 2.06 100 Photocatalysis; Photocatalysts; Solar Cells 37 0.79 100 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders; Wounds and Injuries; Disasters 37 1.13 87 Estimator; Models; Variable Selection 36 0.96 86 Corrosion; Carbon Steel; Corrosion Inhibitors 35 3.55 86 Fractional Differential Equation; Positive Solution; Impulsive 33 3.6 54 Groundwater; Groundwater Resources; Aquifers 30 0.68 77 Optimization; Algorithms; Evolutionary Algorithms 28 4.31 92 Construction; Construction Industry; Project Management 28 0.9 94 Synthesis (Chemical); Derivatives; Pyridines 23 0.58 87 Silicon Solar Cells; Solar Cells; Silicon 23 0.41 70 Breast Neoplasms; Early Detection Of Cancer; Women 22 1.18 74 Adsorption; Adsorbents; Activated Carbon 21 1.81 97 Cognitive Radio; MIMO Systems; Orthogonal Frequency Multiplexing 20 0.92 97 Anti-Bacterial Agents; Infection; Methicillin-Resistant S. Aureus 20 0.97 97 Microbial Fuel Cells; Anaerobic Digestion; Bioreactors 20 0.57 99 Health; Research; Income 20 0.8 50 Harmonic Generation; Crystals; Nonlinear Optics 19 1.03 45 Obesity; Motor Activity; Child 18 0.71 98 Work; Personality; Psychology 18 1.89 98 Algorithms; Computer Vision; Models 16 1.42 100 Students; Medical Students; Education 15 1.62 95 Radon; Radioisotopes; Radioactivity 14 0.85 67 Fractional; Fractional Order; Derivatives 14 2.51 87 Ion Selective Electrodes; Potentiometers; Ionophores 14 0.5 37 Climate Models; Model; Rainfall 13 0.76 99 *A FWCI score greater than 1.0 indicates that the publications have a citation impact higher than the global average of Scopus database. ** The prominence percentile gives an indication of the momentum of the topic, highlighting areas of active research. 3.3 Highly cited papers The top 10 most cited papers with first author from the Gaza strip are given in Table 2 . In construction engineering, Tayeh et al. ( 2012 , 2013 ) investigated the mechanical and permeability properties of interfaces between regular and ultra high-performance concretes, contributing to the development of stronger and more durable structures. Alnahhal et al. ( 2018 ) explored the use of recycled materials and waste products in concrete production, demonstrating a sustainable approach while maintaining essential properties. Enshassi et al. ( 2007 , 2009 ) shed light on the complexities of construction projects in this region. Their studies identified factors like material shortages and political instability as key hurdles impacting efficiency and cost. Thabet et al. (2000; 2002 , 2008 ) explored public health concerns related to occupation and violence in the region. Their research painted a poignant picture of the long-term effects of war trauma on children and adults, highlighting the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder and emotional problems. Venturing into mathematics, Matar et al. ( 2021 ) investigated the p-Laplacian nonperiodic nonlinear boundary value problem utilizing generalized Caputo fractional derivatives. These studies showcase the breadth and significance of research conducted in the Gaza Strip, spanning practical applications in construction and public health to theoretical advancements in mathematics. They demonstrate the dedication and potential of researchers in the region, contributing to progress across diverse disciplines. Table 2 Top 10 most cited research papers with first author from Gaza (review articles are not considered) Article title Citations Reference Mechanical and permeability properties of the interface between normal concrete substrate and ultra high-performance fiber concrete overlay 317 (Tayeh et al. 2012 ) Factors affecting labour productivity in building projects in the Gaza strip 203 (Enshassi et al. 2007 ) Post traumatic stress disorder reactions in children of war: A longitudinal study 179 (Thabet and Vostanis 2000 ) Delays and cost overruns in the construction projects in the Gaza Strip 174 (Enshassi, Al-Najjar, et Kumaraswamy 2009) Emotional problems in Palestinian children living in a war zone: A cross-sectional study 172 (Thabet et al. 2002 ) Characterization of the interfacial bond between old concrete substrate and ultra high-performance fiber concrete repair composite 155 (Tayeh et al. 2013 ) Knowledge, attitude, practice, and toxicity symptoms associated with pesticide use among farm workers in the Gaza Strip 152 (Yassin et al. 2002 ) Investigation of the p-Laplacian nonperiodic nonlinear boundary value problem via generalized Caputo fractional derivatives 140 (Matar et al. 2021 ) Exposure to war trauma and PTSD among parents and children in the Gaza strip 135 (Thabet et al. 2008 ) Assessment on engineering properties and CO2 emissions of recycled aggregate concrete incorporating waste products as supplements to Portland cement 130 (Alnahhal et al. 2018 ) 3.4 Top institutions The top three universities in the Gaza Strip are outlined in Fig. 4 . Over the period from 2013 to 2022, the Islamic University of Gaza produced a total of 959 papers, garnered 20659 citations, and achieved a FWCI score of 1.83. Established in 1978 in Gaza City, the Islamic University of Gaza stands as an independent Palestinian institution. It has faced multiple attacks, notably during the 2008 Gaza War, the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, and the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, resulting in significant destruction of its infrastructure and educational facilities (Murphy 2009 ; “Israeli Airstrikes Target Gaza’s Islamic University” 2014; “Israel bombs Gaza university, alleging use by military” 2023; Mwafy 2020 ). Sadly, Taya S.A. the university president and a prominent physicist and mathematician, was tragically killed alongside his family in an Israeli airstrike during the 2023 Israel–Hamas conflict ("Israeli air strike in Gaza kills prominent scientist Sufyan Taya, Palestinian ministry says," 2023). Ranked second among the top institutions is Al-Azhar University of Gaza, which produced 631 papers, received 10476 citations, and obtained a FWCI score of 1.27. Established in 1991, Al-Azhar University is a public, non-profit, and independent educational institution. It too suffered severe damage during the 2023 Israel–Hamas conflict (“Israeli air strikes target Gaza’s Al-Azhar University” 2023). Finally, Al-Aqsa University, the first higher education institution in the Gaza Strip founded in 1955, produced 256 papers, received 4167 citations, and achieved a FWCI score of 1.39. On February 6th, 2023, Israeli warplanes targeted Al-Aqsa University in Gaza City, causing extensive damage (“Euro-Med” 2024). According to Scholars Against the War on Palestine (SAWP), all 11 of the enclave’s universities, including those mentioned above, have been targeted by Israeli bombings since October 7, 2023 (“Toolkit - Scholars Against the War on Palestine” 2024). These acts have been characterized as "scholasticide," a term coined by Palestinian professor Karma Nabulsi, indicating the deliberate destruction of educational infrastructure and the harm inflicted upon educators and students (“Toolkit - Scholars Against the War on Palestine” 2024). Such actions, as highlighted by the Euro-Med Monitor, are considered violations of international law and constitute war crimes under the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (“Euro-Med” 2024). It also affirmed that these actions are part of Israel’s recent openly declared policies, aiming to make the Gaza Strip an uninhabitable place, forcibly displacing its inhabitants by creating an environment devoid of the basic elements of life and services. 3.5 Top authors The top 30 authors by h -index are given in Table 3 . These top authors are affiliated to the Islamic University of Gaza (16), Al-Azhar University of Gaza (12), and Al-Aqsa University (2). Ten authors exhibited an h -index above 20. The most prolific and impactful author among them is Tayeh B.A. from the Islamic University of Gaza with 260 documents and an h -index of 60. More than 88% of his documents (177) are classified in the top 25% most cited documents worldwide. His average FWCI score is 5.08. The most contributed Topics during the period spanning 2018–2022 are: [Mechanical Properties; Self Compacting Concrete; Concrete Slabs (23 documents)], [Geopolymers; Coal Ash; Alkali (21 documents)], and [Rubber Waste; Mechanical Properties; Tires (18 documents)]. The most prolific and impactful author from the Al-Azhar University is Alajerami Y.S.M. with 113 documents and an h -index of 30. More than 86% of his documents (60) are classified in the top 25% most cited documents worldwide. His average FWCI score is 1.78. The most contributed Topics during the period spanning 2018–2022 are: [Radiation Shield; Gamma Ray; Shielding (40 documents)], [Breast Neoplasms; Mammography; Early Detection of Cancer (3 documents)], and [Computed Tomographic Angiography; Image Quality; Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis (3 documents)]. The most prolific and impactful author from the Al-Aqsa University is Awadallah M.A. with 102 documents and an h -index of 32. More than 66% of his documents (49) are classified in the top 25% most cited documents worldwide. His average FWCI score is 3.42. The most contributed Topics during the period spanning 2018–2022 are: [Metaheuristics; Fireflies; Chiroptera (14 documents)], [Economic Dispatch; Particle Swarm Optimizer; Economics (5 documents)], and [Feature Subset Selection; Genetic Algorithm; High-Dimensional Data (5 documents)]. 3.6 Collaborating countries Gaza's researchers are engaged in collaborations with 159 countries worldwide. The VOSviewer collaboration network is depicted in Fig. 5 . Notably, the top collaborating countries include Egypt (466 papers), Saudi Arabia (437 papers), Malaysia (414 papers), Jordan (328 papers), and the United States (314 papers). In recent years, there has been a shift in collaboration trends, with a decrease in engagement with Western countries in favor of strengthened collaborations with Arab nations, India, and China. Table 3 Top 30 most prolific authors in the Gaza Strip. Rank Author Affiliation h- index h 5 - index* Documents** Citations 1 Tayeh, B.A. Islamic University of Gaza 60 38 261 9995 2 Awadallah, M.A. Al-Aqsa University 32 19 102 3014 3 Alajerami, Y.S.M. Al-Azhar University of Gaza 30 14 113 2633 4 Taya, S.A. Islamic University of Gaza 29 12 210 2989 5 Safi, Z. Al-Azhar University of Gaza 25 16 85 2082 6 Safi, Z.S. Al-Azhar University of Gaza 25 16 85 2082 7 Enshassi, A. Islamic University of Gaza 23 5 81 1726 8 El-Nahhal, I.M. Al-Azhar University of Gaza 23 6 80 1586 9 Salem, J.K. Al-Azhar University of Gaza 21 6 58 1246 10 Daher, M.G. Islamic University of Gaza 17 7 64 567 11 Hammad, T.M. Al-Azhar University of Gaza 17 4 34 866 12 Abu-Naser, S.S. Al-Azhar University of Gaza 17 7 49 724 13 Shabat, M.M. Islamic University of Gaza 16 6 189 1044 14 Abadla, M.M. Al-Aqsa University 16 10 35 531 15 Sirdah, M.M. Al-Azhar University of Gaza 16 3 32 703 16 El-Ashgar, N.M. Islamic University of Gaza 15 2 46 758 17 El-Agez, T.M. Islamic University of Gaza 15 3 45 663 18 Matar, M.M. Al-Azhar University of Gaza 15 11 48 686 19 Zaggout, F.R. Al-Azhar University of Gaza 15 1 28 452 20 Saadeh, S.M. Islamic University of Gaza 14 4 32 526 21 Abdel-Latif, M.S. Islamic University of Gaza 14 1 36 713 22 El-Khozondar, H.J. Islamic University of Gaza 13 8 103 695 23 Bottcher, B. Islamic University of Gaza 12 9 54 363 24 Elmanama, A.A. Islamic University of Gaza 12 4 31 445 25 Kodeh, F.S. Al-Azhar University of Gaza 12 5 26 323 26 Abu-El-Noor, N. Islamic University of Gaza 12 7 44 360 27 Sharif, F.A. Islamic University of Gaza 12 1 24 340 28 Awadallah, A.M. Islamic University of Gaza 11 2 36 339 29 Aljeesh, Y. Islamic University of Gaza 11 4 41 298 30 Yassin, M.M. Islamic University of Gaza 10 4 37 542 * h 5 - index refers to the h- index of the last five years (2019–2022). **Total Scopus documents. During the period spanning 2018–2022, academic collaboration in the Gaza Strip has been pivotal in fostering research output and international engagement. International collaboration has been particularly significant, constituting 74.6% of the total research output, resulting in the publication of 1069 papers and boasting a FWCI of 2.31, indicating a high level of impact. However, national collaboration accounted for 8.1% and contributed with 116 papers published and a FWCI of 0.57. Institutional collaboration accounted for 10%, yielding 153 papers with an FWCI of 0.59. Additionally, single authorship documents represented 7.3% of the total research output during this period and resulted in 105 documents with an FWCI score of 0.35. This disparity can be attributed to the constraints imposed by the siege and occupation, hindering the development of robust local academic networks and infrastructure. The limited resources and restricted mobility within Gaza have likely impacted the depth and breadth of research collaborations, reflected in the lower FWCI scores associated with national and institutional collaborations. Indeed, conducting research in Gaza presents unique challenges, including data sensitivity, population vulnerability, and constraints on researchers (Khatib et al. 2017 ; Alkhaldi et al. 2021 ; Arawi 2021 ). For more than 40 years, Palestinian universities have suffered systematic harassment by the Israeli occupier. The conflict has severely impacted education outcomes for Palestinian students, affecting exam performance and university admissions (Brück et al. 2019 ). Also, Israeli interference inhibits academic effectiveness, reduces collaboration, and prevents international visits, equipment supply, and employment of foreign teaching staff (Stefanini 2015 ). At various times, campuses have been ordered closed, while during "routine" times, the inviting of guest lecturers has been banned, as have departures abroad for training and conferences (Matar, 2024). Moreover, Gaza's higher education system has been repeatedly subjected to attacks, resulting in the destruction of infrastructure and loss of life (Jebril 2023 ; Milton et al. 2023 ). Among its thousands of airstrikes on Gaza during the last war, the Israeli army deliberately and specifically targeted academic, intellectual, and scientific figures in Gaza. Dozens of them were killed in direct strikes on their homes without prior warning and crushed under the rubble with their families (“Euro- Med” 2024). The Israel’s military attack, characterized by widespread and deliberate destruction of cultural and historical properties, such as universities, schools, libraries, and archives, is part of Israel’s declared policies to make Gaza uninhabitable, creating a coercive environment devoid of the minimum essentials of life and services, which may eventually force its residents to migrate (“Euro- Med” 2024). 4. Conclusions In conclusion, our comprehensive bibliometric analysis sheds light on the scholarly landscape within the Gaza Strip, offering insights into the remarkable resilience and perseverance of researchers amidst challenging circumstances. Despite facing enduring constraints due to resource limitations, and the physical barriers imposed by the siege and occupation, Gaza's academic community has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to advancing knowledge across various disciplines. The substantial increase in publications over the years, coupled with a notable rise in citation impact, underscores the growing recognition and influence of research originating from Gaza on the global stage. This upward trajectory in scholarly output, particularly evident in recent years, reflects the unwavering dedication of researchers to overcome barriers and contribute meaningfully to their respective fields. Despite facing significant adversity, researchers affiliated with institutions such as the Islamic University of Gaza, Al-Azhar University of Gaza, and Al-Aqsa University have emerged as influential contributors to their fields, garnering international recognition for their work. However, it is essential to acknowledge the profound impact of occupation on academic institutions and individuals within the Gaza Strip. The deliberate targeting of universities and scholars by military actions not only undermines academic freedom and scholarly exchange but also perpetuates cycles of violence and oppression. In light of these challenges, it is imperative for the international community to recognize the vital role of academic solidarity and support in safeguarding the integrity and autonomy of Gaza's academic institutions. Efforts to promote research collaboration, capacity-building initiatives, and advocacy for academic freedom are essential steps towards promoting a conducive environment for scholarly inquiry and innovation within the Gaza Strip. Ultimately, our study underscores the resilience, innovation, and potential of Gaza's academic community to overcome adversity and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of knowledge and human welfare. By amplifying the voices and achievements of researchers within the region, we hope to inspire greater recognition and solidarity with Gaza's scholarly endeavors, ultimately contributing to the pursuit of peace, justice, and intellectual freedom in the region and beyond. Declarations Acknowledgements This work is dedicated to the memory of Taya S.A., President of the Islamic University of Gaza and a prominent physicist and mathematician, who tragically lost his life alongside his family in an Israeli airstrike on northeast Gaza on December 2, 2023. Additionally, this work honors the memory of all innocent scientists from Gaza who were deliberately killed during this conflict. Author declaration The author affirms that no funds, grants, or additional support were acquired during the manuscript's preparation. Furthermore, there are no conflicts of interest concerning the data presented in this article. 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Enshassi, A., Mohamed, S., Mustafa, Z.A., and Mayer, P.E. 2007. Factors affecting labour productivity in building projects in the Gaza strip. Journal of Civil Engineering and Management 13 (4): 245–254. doi:10.1080/13923730.2007.9636444. Euro- Med: Israel killed dozens of academics and destroyed universities in Gaza. 2024, January 20. Available from https://english.palinfo.com/reports/2024/01/20/313102 [accessed 22 February 2024]. Euro-Med: Gaza universities destroyed, life erased by Israel. 2024, February 16. Available from https://english.palinfo.com/reports/2024/02/16/314446 [accessed 20 February 2024]. Farhat, T., Ibrahim, S., Abdul-Sater, Z., and Abu-Sittah, G. 2023. Responding to the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: Damned if You do… Damned if You don’t! Annals of Global Health 89 (1). doi:10.5334/aogh.3975. Fernandez-Llimos, F. 2018. Differences and similarities between Journal Impact Factor and CiteScore. Pharm Pract (Granada) 16 (2): 1282. doi:10.18549/PharmPract.2018.02.1282. Golan, A. 2023. Foundations of a geopolitical entity - the Gaza Strip 1947–1950. Middle Eastern Studies. doi:10.1080/00263206.2023.2195635. Israel bombs Gaza university, alleging use by military. 2023. Available from https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20231012162739531 [accessed 19 February 2024]. Israeli air strikes target Gaza’s Al-Azhar University. 2023, November 6. Available from https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231106-israeli-air-strikes-target-gazas-al-azhar-university/ [accessed 19 February 2024]. Israeli Airstrikes Target Gaza’s Islamic University. 2014. Available from https://www.wsj.com/video/israeli-airstrikes-target-gaza-islamic-university/9AED83DF-6CAF-4A1B-B2F7-C4333F152D6C [accessed 19 February 2024]. Jebril, M. 2023. Between construction and destruction: the experience of educationalists at Gaza’s universities. Compare 53 (6): 986–1004. doi:10.1080/03057925.2021.1987190. Joudeh, S. 2021. Defying Exception: Gaza after the “Unity Uprising.” Journal of Palestine Studies 50 (4): 73–77. doi:10.1080/0377919X.2021.1975475. Khatib, R., Giacaman, R., Khammash, U., and Yusuf, S. 2017. Challenges to conducting epidemiology research in chronic conflict areas: Examples from PURE- Palestine Bayard Roberts, Kiran Jobunputra, Preeti Patel and Pablo Perel. Conflict and Health 10 (1). doi:10.1186/s13031-016-0101-x. Latifi-Pour, M., and Zavareh, S.M.A. 2023. Call for Emergency Aid for Gaza Strip Hospitals and Clinics. Trauma Monthly 28 (5): 943–944. doi:10.30491/TM.2023.425457.1657. Matar, M.M., Abbas, M.I., Alzabut, J., Kaabar, M.K.A., Etemad, S., and Rezapour, S. 2021. Investigation of the p-Laplacian nonperiodic nonlinear boundary value problem via generalized Caputo fractional derivatives. Advances in Difference Equations 2021 (1). doi:10.1186/s13662-021-03228-9. Mhamdi, R. 2023. Evaluating the evolution and impact of wood vinegar research: A bibliometric study. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 175 . doi:10.1016/j.jaap.2023.106190. Milton, S., Elkahlout, G., and Barakat, S. 2023. Protecting higher education from attack in the Gaza Strip. Compare 53 (6): 1024–1042. doi:10.1080/03057925.2021.1987192. Murphy, M.C. 2009, February 15. Rebuilding the Islamic University of Gaza. Text. Available from https://electronicintifada.net/content/rebuilding-islamic-university-gaza/8068 [accessed 19 February 2024]. Mwafy, S. 2020. The Palestinian Terrestrial Vertebrate Fauna Preserved at the Biology Exhibitions of the Universities of the Gaza Strip. Research in Ecology. Available from https://www.academia.edu/112150766/The_Palestinian_Terrestrial_Vertebrate_Fauna_Preserved_at_the_Biology_ Exhibitions_of_the_Universities_of_the_Gaza_Strip [accessed 19 February 2024]. Nadi-Ravandi, S., and Batooli, Z. 2022. A 10-year (2010-2019) scientometrics assessment of Iranian and Turkish scholarly outputs based on Scopus database. Malaysian Journal of Library and Information Science 27 (3): 21–47. doi:10.22452/mjlis.vol27no3.2. Nijim, M. 2023. Genocide in Palestine: Gaza as a case study. International Journal of Human Rights 27 (1): 165–200. doi:10.1080/13642987.2022.2065261. Pelham, N. 2014. The Role of the Tunnel Economy in Redeveloping Gaza. Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies: 200–219. doi:10.1057/9781137448750_11. Stefanini, A. 2015. Palestinian universities under occupation. Ricerca e Pratica 31 (5): 198–208. Sun, J., and Yuan, B.-Z. 2020. Bibliometric mapping of top papers in library and information science based on the essential science indicators database. Malaysian Journal of Library and Information Science 25 (2): 61–76. doi:10.22452/mjlis.vol25no2.4. Taya, S.A., Alhamss, D.N., Colak, I., and Patel, S.K. 2022a. Sensitivity enhancement of an optical sensor based on a binary photonic crystal for the detection of Escherichia coli by controlling the central wavelength and the angle of incidence. Optical and Quantum Electronics 54 (2). doi:10.1007/s11082-022-03511-3. Taya, S.A., Doghmosh, N., Sharma, A., Colak, I., and Almawgani, A.H.M. 2022b. Dielectric superconductor binary photonic crystal as an optical sensor for the detection of Escherichia coli bacteria. Pramana - Journal of Physics 96 (4). doi:10.1007/s12043-022-02432-w. Taya, S.A., Sharma, A., Doghmosh, N., and Colak, I. 2022c. Detection of water concentration in ethanol solution using a ternary photonic crystal-based sensor. Materials Chemistry and Physics 279 . doi:10.1016/j.matchemphys.2022.125772. Tayeh, B.A., Abu Bakar, B.H., and Megat Johari, M.A. 2013. Characterization of the interfacial bond between old concrete substrate and ultra high performance fiber concrete repair composite. Materials and Structures/Materiaux et Constructions 46 (5): 743–753. doi:10.1617/s11527-012-9931-1. Tayeh, B.A., Abu Bakar, B.H., Megat Johari, M.A., and Voo, Y.L. 2012. Mechanical and permeability properties of the interface between normal concrete substrate and ultra high performance fiber concrete overlay. Construction and Building Materials 36 : 538–548. doi:10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.06.013. Tayeh, B.A., Akeed, M.H., Qaidi, S., and Bakar, B.H.A. 2022a. Ultra-high-performance concrete: Impacts of steel fibre shape and content on flowability, compressive strength and modulus of rupture. Case Studies in Construction Materials 17 . doi:10.1016/j.cscm.2022.e01615. Tayeh, B.A., Akeed, M.H., Qaidi, S., and Bakar, B.H.A. 2022b. Influence of sand grain size distribution and supplementary cementitious materials on the compressive strength of ultrahigh-performance concrete. Case Studies in Construction Materials 17 . doi:10.1016/j.cscm.2022.e01495. Tayeh, B.A., Hakamy, A., Amin, M., Zeyad, A.M., and Agwa, I.S. 2022c. Effect of air agent on mechanical properties and microstructure of lightweight geopolymer concrete under high temperature. Case Studies in Construction Materials 16 . doi:10.1016/j.cscm.2022.e00951. Thabet, A.A., Tawahina, A.A., El Sarraj, E., and Vostanis, P. 2008. Exposure to war trauma and PTSD among parents and children in the Gaza strip. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 17 (4): 191–199. doi:10.1007/s00787-007-0653-9. Thabet, A.A., and Vostanis, P. 2000. Post traumatic stress disorder reactions in children of war: A longitudinal study. Child Abuse and Neglect 24 (2): 291–298. doi:10.1016/S0145-2134(99)00127-1. Thabet, A.A.M., Abed, Y., and Vostanis, P. 2002. Emotional problems in Palestinian children living in a war zone: A cross-sectional study. Lancet 359 (9320): 1801–1804. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)08709-3. Toolkit - Scholars Against the War on Palestine. 2024, February 2. Available from https://scholarsagainstwar.org/toolkit/ [accessed 20 February 2024]. Yassin, M.M., Abu Mourad, T.A., and Safi, J.M. 2002. Knowledge, attitude, practice, and toxicity symptoms associated with pesticide use among farm workers in the Gaza Strip. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 59 (6): 387–393. doi:10.1136/oem.59.6.387. Yusnaini, Nengyanti, Yanti, M., and Santoso, A.D. 2023. Profiling COVID-19 research in the social sciences from Indonesia based on Scopus database. Malaysian Journal of Library and Information Science 28 (1): 89–107. doi:10.22452/mjlis.vol28no1.6. Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4417530","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":302233245,"identity":"8ae37d76-696f-4d01-a35b-607ca355910d","order_by":0,"name":"Ridha Mhamdi","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA6ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACZgYzEJUAxAYHPjAcSCBNy8EZcC0JDBJ4NCG0MPMQo8W8nXnbgx8M2/L4px3eeNim5k4efwPvs8eVPxjqzHFokTnMVm7Yw3C7WOJ2WsHhnGPPiiUOsJsbngHaYtmAXYsEM4+ZBA/D7cSG2zkGh3MbDiduYGBjk2wAajE4gFuL5B+glvkgLZbEapEG2bIBpIWROC1sZdIyBrcTNwL9crAH5JfDIC1pEpIbcGnhP7xN8k3F7cR5t5M3f/gBCrH2NqAWGxt+XLZAgAEyhxliFj71o2AUjIJRMAoIAADh7llzNEo0BgAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2999-7604","institution":"Centre of Biotechnology of Borj-Cédria","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ridha","middleName":"","lastName":"Mhamdi","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-05-14 08:11:26","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":{"humanSubjects":false,"vertebrateSubjects":false,"conflictsOfInterestStatement":false,"humanSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false,"humanSubjectConsent":false,"humanSubjectClinicalTrial":false,"humanSubjectCaseReport":false,"vertebrateSubjectEthicalGuidelines":false},"doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4417530/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4417530/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":56586411,"identity":"a13db0f4-559c-4e55-8478-34c10a25a584","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-05-16 07:40:50","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":149836,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eEvolution of publications (a), citations (b), Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) (c), and outputs in top journal percentiles (d) during the period from 1996 to 2023 in the Gaza Strip. A FWCI score greater than 1.0 indicates that the publications have a citation impact higher than the global average of the Scopus database. Note that 2023 is still an incomplete year at the time of data retrieval.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4417530/v1/77c273499eaede551b8cc0fd.png"},{"id":56587453,"identity":"7f507c58-0ebf-44ef-abc5-1820599bd016","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-05-16 07:56:50","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":16799,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eNumber of international patents citing articles coauthored by researchers from Gaza.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4417530/v1/838ffa310cd1f7dc817169b4.png"},{"id":56586965,"identity":"b1b6765d-8b87-438f-9624-0e1b3cb5a871","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-05-16 07:48:50","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":117048,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003ePublication share by subject area for the period spanning 2013 to 2022.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4417530/v1/75989e99c39425141c584229.png"},{"id":56586422,"identity":"da9ec6e8-830f-4180-844a-3d9841adf9c8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-05-16 07:40:50","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":85575,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003ePublication (a) and citation impact (b) of the top 3 universities in the Gaza strip. A FWCI score greater than 1.0 indicates that the publications have a citation impact higher than the global average of the Scopus database. Note that 2023 is still an incomplete year at the time of data retrieval.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4417530/v1/4026241ed118e947f49aa4e9.png"},{"id":56586421,"identity":"0dd75ff4-0822-472d-8a18-53f42185b376","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-05-16 07:40:50","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":1212164,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eOverlay visualization of countries collaborating with the Gaza Strip. Only collaborators with at least five publications are shown. The size of each circle reflects the number of publications, while the color corresponds to the year of the hotspot collaboration for each country.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4417530/v1/d1495d088a222f4ba12a6a58.png"},{"id":56587948,"identity":"f6aedfde-def7-46a3-bb6e-642c351788c3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-05-16 08:04:51","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2073901,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4417530/v1/cbd6aa32-cb43-4f7f-a0f3-059a5b1ac091.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"The authors declare no competing interests.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBeyond the blockade: Exploring research outputs in the Gaza strip\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe Gaza Strip is a territory in Palestine that has been a subject of geopolitical disputes since 1948 (Golan \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). On the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Gaza is bordered by Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north. It has faced challenges such as denial of Palestinian statehood, Israeli military occupation, and refugee status (Ali \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Over the past three decades, Gaza has been separated and confined, creating a state of exception (Joudeh \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). The conflict has led to a humanitarian crisis, with restrictions on movement, high unemployment rates, poverty, and poor health conditions (Awadallah and Elessi \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Beiraghdar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Farhat et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Latifi-Pour and Zavareh \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Alokaily \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Containing 2\u0026nbsp;million people inside a 365 km\u0026sup2; enclave, it has been under a land, sea, and air siege imposed by Israel and Egypt since 2007 (Borralho \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). The embargo imposed on Gaza by Israel has transformed the lives of its inhabitants, leading to a reconfiguration of the economy and dependence on underground conduits for basic supplies (Pelham \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). Israel\u0026rsquo;s aim in imposing the siege was to reduce the size of Gaza\u0026rsquo;s population by encouraging emigration (Farhat et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This siege has profoundly impacted all facets of life in Gaza, including education, research, and academic endeavors (Barakat et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Alarabeed \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Despite structural limitations and resource constraints, universities in Gaza stand as bastions of resilience, embodying the aspirations of the Palestinian people for knowledge, empowerment, and self-determination. Gaza has endured several Israeli military operations, 2008\u0026ndash;2009, 2014, 2018\u0026ndash;2019, 2021, and 2023\u0026ndash;2024. The ongoing conflict has created a challenging environment for higher education and research, with a simultaneous process of construction and destruction undermining academic functioning (Jebril \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Milton et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). On 9 October 2023, Israel declared a devastating war on Hamas and imposed a total blockade of the Gaza Strip. As of January 2024, Israel's offensive has either damaged or destroyed 70\u0026ndash;80% of all buildings in northern Gaza, including universities (Chase \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). More than 85% of Palestinians in Gaza, or around 1.9\u0026nbsp;million people, were internally displaced, and one out of every 100 inhabitants were killed as of January 2024 (Bland \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). The United Nations has warned that Gaza could soon be uninhabitable (Nijim \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe objective of this work is to explore the bibliometric profile of the scientific research in Gaza in order to provide insights into the impact and visibility of Gaza's research on the global stage. This can help raise awareness of the valuable contributions being made by Gazan researchers and advocate for increased recognition and support for their work. This can inform initiatives aimed at supporting and strengthening Gaza's research ecosystem, ultimately empowering Gazan researchers to contribute meaningfully to global scientific progress and address the pressing challenges facing their communities.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e2.1 Document collection\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe Scopus database was utilized to retrieve documents authored by researchers from the Gaza Strip using the search query \u0026ldquo;Gaza\u0026rdquo; in the search field \u0026ldquo;Affiliation.\u0026rdquo; However, it was observed that some documents were unrelated to the Gaza Strip but instead pertained to the province of Gaza in Mozambique. To refine our search, we added a filtering search field \u0026quot;AND NOT \u0026apos;Mozambique\u0026apos;\u0026quot; in \u0026quot;Affiliation Country.\u0026quot; The Scopus document search was conducted on February 5th, 2024, resulting in 4826 documents, comprising 3878 articles, 198 reviews, 103 book chapters, 6 books, 60 letters, and 520 conference papers. More than 98% of these documents were in English. A final dataset of 4076 documents, including only research articles and reviews, was selected for bibliometric analysis. The overall search string used is (AFFIL(Gaza) AND NOT AFFILCOUNTRY(Mozambique)) AND (LIMIT-TO(DOCTYPE, \u0026quot;ar\u0026quot;) OR LIMIT-TO(DOCTYPE, \u0026quot;re\u0026quot;)).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\n \u003ch2\u003e2.2 Data analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe final dataset was exported to SciVal, which can be accessed by registering at \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ewww.scival.com\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e. SciVal is a research analytics tool developed by Elsevier that offers metrics and insights into research performance (Nadi-Ravandi and Batooli \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Mhamdi \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Bibliometric analysis involved examining publication and citation metrics, subject areas and prominent topics, prolific authors, most cited papers, and international collaboration. SciVal results were exported to Microsoft Excel for visualization. The country collaboration network was constructed using VOSviewer (\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ewww.vosviewer.com\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e), a specialized bibliometric analysis tool commonly used to visualize bibliometric networks (Sun and Yuan \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Mhamdi \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Yusnaini et al. \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3. Results and Discussion","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.1 Publication and citation patterns\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe number of publications from the Gaza Strip retrieved from the Scopus database amassed a total of 4076 documents (3878 articles and 198 reviews), reflecting a notable scholarly output from the region. Publication and citation metrics during the time span covered by SciVal (1996\u0026ndash;2023) are reported in \u003cb\u003eFig.\u0026nbsp;1\u003c/b\u003e. A steady increase in annual publications is observed, reaching more than 400 publications per year in 2022 and 2023. The upward trend in annual publications, particularly since 2020, indicates an increasing scholarly engagement despite all the constraints faced by researchers in the region. The citations count also significantly increased, notably in recent years, amassing a total of 57,294 citations from 1996 to 2023. The average citations per paper was 16.8. The Field-weighted Citation Impact (FWCI), which considers average citation rates in the field providing a normalized impact measure, also significantly increased. It surpassed the threshold value (1.0) since 2019, indicating that Gaza\u0026rsquo;s publications have a citation impact significantly higher than the global average of the Scopus database. The average FWCI score during the last 10 years (2013\u0026ndash;2022) registered at 1.54, and that of the last five complete years (2018\u0026ndash;2022) registered at 1.9. This surge in citation impact not only reflects the quality and significance of the research conducted in the region but also demonstrates its increasing visibility and influence worldwide. The proportions of documents published in the top journal CiteScore percentiles during the last ten years were 14.6% and 36.3% in the top 10% and top 25% percentiles, respectively (Fig.\u0026nbsp;1d).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe CiteScore of Scopus differs from the Impact Factor of Clarivate by relying on a 4-year citation window rather than a 2-year one. This extended timeframe accommodates more recent years' citations, potentially rendering CiteScore more robust and stable (Fernandez-Llimos \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). The distribution of documents across top journal CiteScore percentiles indicates a notable presence of high-quality research output from Gaza in reputable academic journals. This suggests that Gaza's researchers are not only producing a substantial volume of research but are also publishing in journals with high impact and visibility within their respective fields. Moreover, Gaza\u0026rsquo;s publications are being cited by international patents. During the last decade (2013\u0026ndash;2022), scholarly outputs from the Gaza Strip were cited 71 times in a total of 68 international patents: United States of America (55), World Intellectual Property Organization (7), European Patent Office (4), and Japan (2). Figure\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e illustrates the evolution of the number of patents citing scholarly outputs from the Gaza Strip.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.2 Subject areas and topics\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eGaza\u0026rsquo;s publications span several Scopus subject areas, with Medicine (23.4%), Engineering (23%), Materials Science (18%), Physics and Astronomy (18%), Environmental Science (11.1%), Chemistry (10.7%) and Computer Science (10.5%) emerging as the most prolific (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe SciVal's topic classification offers a potent tool for navigating the intricate scientific research landscape of Gaza. With around 96,000 topics formed through direct citation linking, Gaza\u0026rsquo;s researchers contributed to 1068 topics and 505 topic clusters over the last 10 years (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Most topic clusters are exhibiting high prominence, determined by citation count, Scopus view count, and average journal CiteScore, giving a nuanced understanding of topic's momentum. The most prolific topic cluster is [Concretes; Compressive Strength; Cements] with 155 papers and FWCI of 5.37, and a 100% prominence percentile, highlighting an area of active research. This suggests that Gaza's researchers are actively addressing issues related to infrastructure development and building resilience in the face of societal challenges (Almeshal et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Elsayed et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Tayeh et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022c\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022a\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003eb\u003c/span\u003e). The second prolific topic cluster is [Photonic Crystals; Photonics; Waveguides] with 88 papers and a FWCI score of 1.47 (Daher et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Taya et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022b\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022c\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003ea\u003c/span\u003e). Other topic clusters such as [COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Coronavirus], [X Rays; Fluorescence; Shielding], [Plasmons; Metamaterials; Surface Plasmon Resonance], [Optimization; Algorithms; Evolutionary Algorithms] and [Fractional; Fractional Order; Derivatives] are making a substantial contribution to their respective fields since they exhibit high FWCI scores (\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;2). This indicates a forward-looking approach to research, with an emphasis on exploring new frontiers and pushing the boundaries of knowledge in science and technology. By actively engaging with diverse research themes and demonstrating high levels of prominence and citation impact, Gaza's researchers are making significant contributions to their respective fields and enhancing the region's reputation as a hub of scientific inquiry and innovation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTop 30 topic clusters by document number (2013\u0026ndash;2022).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTopic Cluster\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eScholarly Output\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eField-Weighted Citation Impact*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProminence** percentile\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConcretes; Compressive Strength; Cements\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e155\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePhotonic Crystals; Photonics; Waveguides\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e88\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCOVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Coronavirus\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX Rays; Fluorescence; Shielding\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e61\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePlasmons; Metamaterials; Surface Plasmon Resonance\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePhotocatalysis; Photocatalysts; Solar Cells\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.79\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePost-Traumatic Stress Disorders; Wounds and Injuries; Disasters\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEstimator; Models; Variable Selection\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCorrosion; Carbon Steel; Corrosion Inhibitors\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFractional Differential Equation; Positive Solution; Impulsive\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGroundwater; Groundwater Resources; Aquifers\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e77\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOptimization; Algorithms; Evolutionary Algorithms\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConstruction; Construction Industry; Project Management\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e94\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSynthesis (Chemical); Derivatives; Pyridines\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.58\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSilicon Solar Cells; Solar Cells; Silicon\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBreast Neoplasms; Early Detection Of Cancer; Women\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdsorption; Adsorbents; Activated Carbon\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCognitive Radio; MIMO Systems; Orthogonal Frequency Multiplexing\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnti-Bacterial Agents; Infection; Methicillin-Resistant \u003cem\u003eS. Aureus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMicrobial Fuel Cells; Anaerobic Digestion; Bioreactors\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e99\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHealth; Research; Income\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHarmonic Generation; Crystals; Nonlinear Optics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eObesity; Motor Activity; Child\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e98\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWork; Personality; Psychology\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.89\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e98\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlgorithms; Computer Vision; Models\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStudents; Medical Students; Education\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.62\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRadon; Radioisotopes; Radioactivity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFractional; Fractional Order; Derivatives\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIon Selective Electrodes; Potentiometers; Ionophores\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eClimate Models; Model; Rainfall\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e99\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e*A FWCI score greater than 1.0 indicates that the publications have a citation impact higher than the global average of Scopus database.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e** The prominence percentile gives an indication of the momentum of the topic, highlighting areas of active research.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.3 Highly cited papers\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe top 10 most cited papers with first author from the Gaza strip are given in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e. In construction engineering, Tayeh et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e) investigated the mechanical and permeability properties of interfaces between regular and ultra high-performance concretes, contributing to the development of stronger and more durable structures. Alnahhal et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) explored the use of recycled materials and waste products in concrete production, demonstrating a sustainable approach while maintaining essential properties. Enshassi et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e) shed light on the complexities of construction projects in this region. Their studies identified factors like material shortages and political instability as key hurdles impacting efficiency and cost. Thabet et al. (2000; \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e) explored public health concerns related to occupation and violence in the region. Their research painted a poignant picture of the long-term effects of war trauma on children and adults, highlighting the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder and emotional problems. Venturing into mathematics, Matar et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) investigated the p-Laplacian nonperiodic nonlinear boundary value problem utilizing generalized Caputo fractional derivatives. These studies showcase the breadth and significance of research conducted in the Gaza Strip, spanning practical applications in construction and public health to theoretical advancements in mathematics. They demonstrate the dedication and potential of researchers in the region, contributing to progress across diverse disciplines.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTop 10 most cited research papers with first author from Gaza (review articles are not considered)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eArticle title\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCitations\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReference\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMechanical and permeability properties of the interface between normal concrete substrate and ultra high-performance fiber concrete overlay\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e317\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Tayeh et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFactors affecting labour productivity in building projects in the Gaza strip\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e203\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Enshassi et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePost traumatic stress disorder reactions in children of war: A longitudinal study\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e179\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Thabet and Vostanis \u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDelays and cost overruns in the construction projects in the Gaza Strip\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e174\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Enshassi, Al-Najjar, et Kumaraswamy 2009)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmotional problems in Palestinian children living in a war zone: A cross-sectional study\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e172\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Thabet et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCharacterization of the interfacial bond between old concrete substrate and ultra high-performance fiber concrete repair composite\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e155\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Tayeh et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eKnowledge, attitude, practice, and toxicity symptoms associated with pesticide use among farm workers in the Gaza Strip\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e152\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Yassin et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInvestigation of the p-Laplacian nonperiodic nonlinear boundary value problem via generalized Caputo fractional derivatives\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e140\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Matar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExposure to war trauma and PTSD among parents and children in the Gaza strip\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e135\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Thabet et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAssessment on engineering properties and CO2 emissions of recycled aggregate concrete incorporating waste products as supplements to Portland cement\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e130\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Alnahhal et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.4 Top institutions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe top three universities in the Gaza Strip are outlined in \u003cb\u003eFig.\u0026nbsp;4\u003c/b\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOver the period from 2013 to 2022, the Islamic University of Gaza produced a total of 959 papers, garnered 20659 citations, and achieved a FWCI score of 1.83. Established in 1978 in Gaza City, the Islamic University of Gaza stands as an independent Palestinian institution. It has faced multiple attacks, notably during the 2008 Gaza War, the 2014 Israel\u0026ndash;Gaza conflict, and the 2023 Israel\u0026ndash;Hamas war, resulting in significant destruction of its infrastructure and educational facilities (Murphy \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e; \u0026ldquo;Israeli Airstrikes Target Gaza\u0026rsquo;s Islamic University\u0026rdquo; 2014; \u0026ldquo;Israel bombs Gaza university, alleging use by military\u0026rdquo; 2023; Mwafy \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Sadly, Taya S.A. the university president and a prominent physicist and mathematician, was tragically killed alongside his family in an Israeli airstrike during the 2023 Israel\u0026ndash;Hamas conflict (\"Israeli air strike in Gaza kills prominent scientist Sufyan Taya, Palestinian ministry says,\" 2023).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRanked second among the top institutions is Al-Azhar University of Gaza, which produced 631 papers, received 10476 citations, and obtained a FWCI score of 1.27. Established in 1991, Al-Azhar University is a public, non-profit, and independent educational institution. It too suffered severe damage during the 2023 Israel\u0026ndash;Hamas conflict (\u0026ldquo;Israeli air strikes target Gaza\u0026rsquo;s Al-Azhar University\u0026rdquo; 2023).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinally, Al-Aqsa University, the first higher education institution in the Gaza Strip founded in 1955, produced 256 papers, received 4167 citations, and achieved a FWCI score of 1.39. On February 6th, 2023, Israeli warplanes targeted Al-Aqsa University in Gaza City, causing extensive damage (\u0026ldquo;Euro-Med\u0026rdquo; 2024).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to Scholars Against the War on Palestine (SAWP), all 11 of the enclave\u0026rsquo;s universities, including those mentioned above, have been targeted by Israeli bombings since October 7, 2023 (\u0026ldquo;Toolkit - Scholars Against the War on Palestine\u0026rdquo; 2024). These acts have been characterized as \"scholasticide,\" a term coined by Palestinian professor Karma Nabulsi, indicating the deliberate destruction of educational infrastructure and the harm inflicted upon educators and students (\u0026ldquo;Toolkit - Scholars Against the War on Palestine\u0026rdquo; 2024). Such actions, as highlighted by the Euro-Med Monitor, are considered violations of international law and constitute war crimes under the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (\u0026ldquo;Euro-Med\u0026rdquo; 2024). It also affirmed that these actions are part of Israel\u0026rsquo;s recent openly declared policies, aiming to make the Gaza Strip an uninhabitable place, forcibly displacing its inhabitants by creating an environment devoid of the basic elements of life and services.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.5 Top authors\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe top 30 authors by \u003cem\u003eh\u003c/em\u003e-index are given in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e. These top authors are affiliated to the Islamic University of Gaza (16), Al-Azhar University of Gaza (12), and Al-Aqsa University (2). Ten authors exhibited an \u003cem\u003eh\u003c/em\u003e-index above 20. The most prolific and impactful author among them is Tayeh B.A. from the Islamic University of Gaza with 260 documents and an \u003cem\u003eh\u003c/em\u003e-index of 60. More than 88% of his documents (177) are classified in the top 25% most cited documents worldwide. His average FWCI score is 5.08. The most contributed Topics during the period spanning 2018\u0026ndash;2022 are: [Mechanical Properties; Self Compacting Concrete; Concrete Slabs (23 documents)], [Geopolymers; Coal Ash; Alkali (21 documents)], and [Rubber Waste; Mechanical Properties; Tires (18 documents)].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe most prolific and impactful author from the Al-Azhar University is Alajerami Y.S.M. with 113 documents and an \u003cem\u003eh\u003c/em\u003e-index of 30. More than 86% of his documents (60) are classified in the top 25% most cited documents worldwide. His average FWCI score is 1.78. The most contributed Topics during the period spanning 2018\u0026ndash;2022 are: [Radiation Shield; Gamma Ray; Shielding (40 documents)], [Breast Neoplasms; Mammography; Early Detection of Cancer (3 documents)], and [Computed Tomographic Angiography; Image Quality; Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis (3 documents)].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe most prolific and impactful author from the Al-Aqsa University is Awadallah M.A. with 102 documents and an \u003cem\u003eh\u003c/em\u003e-index of 32. More than 66% of his documents (49) are classified in the top 25% most cited documents worldwide. His average FWCI score is 3.42. The most contributed Topics during the period spanning 2018\u0026ndash;2022 are: [Metaheuristics; Fireflies; Chiroptera (14 documents)], [Economic Dispatch; Particle Swarm Optimizer; Economics (5 documents)], and [Feature Subset Selection; Genetic Algorithm; High-Dimensional Data (5 documents)].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.6 Collaborating countries\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eGaza's researchers are engaged in collaborations with 159 countries worldwide. The VOSviewer collaboration network is depicted in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e. Notably, the top collaborating countries include Egypt (466 papers), Saudi Arabia (437 papers), Malaysia (414 papers), Jordan (328 papers), and the United States (314 papers). In recent years, there has been a shift in collaboration trends, with a decrease in engagement with Western countries in favor of strengthened collaborations with Arab nations, India, and China.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTop 30 most prolific authors in the Gaza Strip.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRank\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAuthor\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAffiliation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eh-\u003c/em\u003eindex\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eh\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003e5\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cem\u003e-\u003c/em\u003eindex*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDocuments**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCitations\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTayeh, B.A.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e261\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9995\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAwadallah, M.A.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAl-Aqsa University\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3014\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlajerami, Y.S.M.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAl-Azhar University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e113\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2633\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTaya, S.A.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e210\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2989\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSafi, Z.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAl-Azhar University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2082\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSafi, Z.S.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAl-Azhar University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2082\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEnshassi, A.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1726\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEl-Nahhal, I.M.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAl-Azhar University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1586\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSalem, J.K.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAl-Azhar University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1246\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDaher, M.G.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e567\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHammad, T.M.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAl-Azhar University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e866\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbu-Naser, S.S.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAl-Azhar University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e49\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e724\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eShabat, M.M.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e189\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1044\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbadla, M.M.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAl-Aqsa University\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e531\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSirdah, M.M.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAl-Azhar University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e703\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEl-Ashgar, N.M.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e758\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEl-Agez, T.M.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e663\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMatar, M.M.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAl-Azhar University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e48\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e686\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eZaggout, F.R.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAl-Azhar University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e452\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSaadeh, S.M.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e526\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbdel-Latif, M.S.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e713\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEl-Khozondar, H.J.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e103\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e695\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBottcher, B.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e363\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eElmanama, A.A.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e445\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eKodeh, F.S.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAl-Azhar University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e323\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbu-El-Noor, N.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e360\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSharif, F.A.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e340\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAwadallah, A.M.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e339\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAljeesh, Y.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e298\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYassin, M.M.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIslamic University of Gaza\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e542\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e*\u003cem\u003eh\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003e5\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cem\u003e-\u003c/em\u003eindex refers to the \u003cem\u003eh-\u003c/em\u003eindex of the last five years (2019\u0026ndash;2022).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e**Total Scopus documents.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring the period spanning 2018\u0026ndash;2022, academic collaboration in the Gaza Strip has been pivotal in fostering research output and international engagement. International collaboration has been particularly significant, constituting 74.6% of the total research output, resulting in the publication of 1069 papers and boasting a FWCI of 2.31, indicating a high level of impact. However, national collaboration accounted for 8.1% and contributed with 116 papers published and a FWCI of 0.57. Institutional collaboration accounted for 10%, yielding 153 papers with an FWCI of 0.59. Additionally, single authorship documents represented 7.3% of the total research output during this period and resulted in 105 documents with an FWCI score of 0.35. This disparity can be attributed to the constraints imposed by the siege and occupation, hindering the development of robust local academic networks and infrastructure. The limited resources and restricted mobility within Gaza have likely impacted the depth and breadth of research collaborations, reflected in the lower FWCI scores associated with national and institutional collaborations. Indeed, conducting research in Gaza presents unique challenges, including data sensitivity, population vulnerability, and constraints on researchers (Khatib et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Alkhaldi et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Arawi \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). For more than 40 years, Palestinian universities have suffered systematic harassment by the Israeli occupier. The conflict has severely impacted education outcomes for Palestinian students, affecting exam performance and university admissions (Br\u0026uuml;ck et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). Also, Israeli interference inhibits academic effectiveness, reduces collaboration, and prevents international visits, equipment supply, and employment of foreign teaching staff (Stefanini \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). At various times, campuses have been ordered closed, while during \"routine\" times, the inviting of guest lecturers has been banned, as have departures abroad for training and conferences (Matar, 2024). Moreover, Gaza's higher education system has been repeatedly subjected to attacks, resulting in the destruction of infrastructure and loss of life (Jebril \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Milton et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Among its thousands of airstrikes on Gaza during the last war, the Israeli army deliberately and specifically targeted academic, intellectual, and scientific figures in Gaza. Dozens of them were killed in direct strikes on their homes without prior warning and crushed under the rubble with their families (\u0026ldquo;Euro- Med\u0026rdquo; 2024). The Israel\u0026rsquo;s military attack, characterized by widespread and deliberate destruction of cultural and historical properties, such as universities, schools, libraries, and archives, is part of Israel\u0026rsquo;s declared policies to make Gaza uninhabitable, creating a coercive environment devoid of the minimum essentials of life and services, which may eventually force its residents to migrate (\u0026ldquo;Euro- Med\u0026rdquo; 2024).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"4. Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, our comprehensive bibliometric analysis sheds light on the scholarly landscape within the Gaza Strip, offering insights into the remarkable resilience and perseverance of researchers amidst challenging circumstances. Despite facing enduring constraints due to resource limitations, and the physical barriers imposed by the siege and occupation, Gaza's academic community has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to advancing knowledge across various disciplines.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe substantial increase in publications over the years, coupled with a notable rise in citation impact, underscores the growing recognition and influence of research originating from Gaza on the global stage. This upward trajectory in scholarly output, particularly evident in recent years, reflects the unwavering dedication of researchers to overcome barriers and contribute meaningfully to their respective fields. Despite facing significant adversity, researchers affiliated with institutions such as the Islamic University of Gaza, Al-Azhar University of Gaza, and Al-Aqsa University have emerged as influential contributors to their fields, garnering international recognition for their work. However, it is essential to acknowledge the profound impact of occupation on academic institutions and individuals within the Gaza Strip. The deliberate targeting of universities and scholars by military actions not only undermines academic freedom and scholarly exchange but also perpetuates cycles of violence and oppression.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn light of these challenges, it is imperative for the international community to recognize the vital role of academic solidarity and support in safeguarding the integrity and autonomy of Gaza's academic institutions. Efforts to promote research collaboration, capacity-building initiatives, and advocacy for academic freedom are essential steps towards promoting a conducive environment for scholarly inquiry and innovation within the Gaza Strip.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUltimately, our study underscores the resilience, innovation, and potential of Gaza's academic community to overcome adversity and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of knowledge and human welfare. By amplifying the voices and achievements of researchers within the region, we hope to inspire greater recognition and solidarity with Gaza's scholarly endeavors, ultimately contributing to the pursuit of peace, justice, and intellectual freedom in the region and beyond.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis work is dedicated to the memory of Taya S.A., President of the Islamic University of Gaza and a prominent physicist and mathematician, who tragically lost his life alongside his family in an Israeli airstrike on northeast Gaza on December 2, 2023. Additionally, this work honors the memory of all innocent scientists from Gaza who were deliberately killed during this conflict.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAuthor declaration\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author affirms that no funds, grants, or additional support were acquired during the manuscript\u0026apos;s preparation. Furthermore, there are no conflicts of interest concerning the data presented in this article. The content, including any opinions and conclusions expressed herein, solely represent the view of the author.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAlarabeed, W. 2024. The Myth of Gaza\u0026rsquo;s Reconstruction: The Rise and Fall of Reconstruction Space Under the Israeli Siege. Journal of Peacebuilding and Development. doi:10.1177/15423166231226124.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAli, A. 2023. Eyeless in Gaza - Blindly Oblivious to the Blindingly Obvious. Economic and Political Weekly \u003cstrong\u003e58\u003c/strong\u003e(45\u0026ndash;46): 13\u0026ndash;16.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAlkhaldi, M., Abuzerr, S., Obaid, H.A., Alnajjar, G., Alkhaldi, A., and Alkaiyat, A. 2021. 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Malaysian Journal of Library and Information Science \u003cstrong\u003e28\u003c/strong\u003e(1): 89\u0026ndash;107. doi:10.22452/mjlis.vol28no1.6.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Center of Biotechnogy of Borj Cédria","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Bibliometrics, Gaza, Publication and citation, Research impact, Topics, Visibility","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4417530/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4417530/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe objective of this paper is to investigate the scholarly output of researchers from the Gaza Strip. Utilizing the Scopus database, we retrieved 4076 documents authored by Gaza-based researchers, focusing on research articles and reviews. Through bibliometric analysis using SciVal and VOSviewer, we examined publication and citation patterns, subject areas and topics, prolific authors, highly cited papers, institutional dynamics, and international collaboration. Our findings reveal a remarkable scholarly engagement from Gaza despite adversities, with a steady increase in annual publications, notably surpassing 400 publications per year in 2022 and 2023. The citations count witnessed a significant rise, reflecting an increasing visibility and influence of Gaza's research output worldwide. Notably, the Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) exceeded the global average, highlighting the quality and impact of Gaza's publications. Gaza's research spans diverse subject areas, with Medicine, Engineering, Materials Science, and Physics emerging as the most prolific. Topics such as construction engineering, public health, and mathematics demonstrate the breadth and significance of research conducted in the region. The Islamic University of Gaza, Al-Azhar University of Gaza, and Al-Aqsa University have demonstrated resilience amidst conflict, contributing significantly to scholarly output despite facing destruction and targeting. Prolific authors like Tayeh B.A., Alajerami Y.S.M., and Awadallah M.A. have made substantial contributions across various disciplines, showcasing Gaza's potential and dedication to research. International collaboration has been pivotal, with collaborations spanning 159 countries. However, constraints imposed by the siege and occupation have hindered the development of robust local academic networks, reflected in lower FWCI scores associated with national and institutional collaborations. These findings can help raise awareness of the valuable contributions being made by Gazan researchers and advocate for increased recognition and support for their work.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Beyond the blockade: Exploring research outputs in the Gaza strip","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-05-16 07:40:45","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4417530/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"8cc3b605-0031-4303-9a76-ae886f15f7d3","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 16th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[{"id":31886901,"name":"Library Science"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-05-16T07:40:46+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-05-16 07:40:45","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4417530","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4417530","identity":"rs-4417530","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}