Global Research Trends in Quality and Accreditation in Medical Education: A Bibliometric Analysis with Time Series Forecasting

Global Research Trends in Quality and Accreditation in Medical Education: A Bibliometric Analysis with Time Series Forecasting | 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 Global Research Trends in Quality and Accreditation in Medical Education: A Bibliometric Analysis with Time Series Forecasting Asena Ayça ÖZDEMİR, Hüseyin SELVİ, İbrahim BAŞHAN This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8500658/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 Quality and accreditation in medical education are recognized as essential components for ensuring competent healthcare professionals, equal educational opportunities, and sustainable health systems. Global interest in this area has grown steadily, particularly over the past two decades. This study aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis of publications on quality and accreditation in medical education between 1992 and 2024 and to forecast future publication trends. Publications from 1992–2024 were analyzed using bibliometric methods. Descriptive statistics were used to examine publication trends, authorship, country contributions, and citations. Time series analysis in R was applied to forecast publication counts for 2025–2030. A total of 1,189 publications were identified, authored by 5,230 individuals, including 119 single-authored works. Scientific output increased markedly after 2002, peaking in 2020. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Iran, and China were the most productive countries. Time series analysis indicated that publication growth may continue over the next six years, although a breakpoint model suggests a potential decline if the post-2020 decrease persists. The field is gaining international recognition and importance. Strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration and global research initiatives will be key to advancing quality and accreditation in medical education Medical education Accreditation Bibliometric analysis Time series Forecasting Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 INTRODUCTION Just as individuals evolve, institutions and educational systems also undergo unique developmental processes. Medical education, as a component of this evolutionary trajectory, is shaped by societies’ historical perspectives on health and has deep-rooted traditions. As a field that directly impacts human life, the quality of medical education is a key determinant not only of individual well-being but also of public health. Therefore, the quality of medical education determines not only the professional competence of physicians but also the extent to which they adhere to ethical values, patient safety, and evidence-based practices (Frank et al., 2020 ). Quality in education must be evaluated not only by outcomes but also by the transparency of processes, continuous improvement efforts, and responsiveness to societal needs (Soundariya et al., 2022 ). At this point, accreditation emerges as a systematic and objective mechanism for ensuring quality at both institutional and program levels. Accreditation systems that assess the compliance of medical education institutions with established standards also aim to ensure the global comparability and sustainability of undergraduate medical education (Akdemir et al., 2020 ). This study presents a bibliometric analysis aimed at understanding how the concepts of quality and accreditation in medical education are addressed in the scientific literature. Today, bibliometric analyses are widely used to understand developments in the scientific literature, identify research trends, and analyze prominent themes in knowledge production. Introduced by Pritchard ( 1969 ), this method provides insight into the structural and historical development of a field by quantitatively examining related publications (Pritchard, 1969 ). Bibliometrics offers a comprehensive evaluation not only by counting publications but also by analyzing impact levels, citation patterns, collaboration networks, and thematic concentrations. In this context, a bibliometric approach provides a valuable framework for evaluating knowledge production in the dynamic and multidimensional field of quality and accreditation in medical education. In this study, scientific publications on quality and accreditation in medical education were analyzed using bibliometric methods. To the best of our knowledge, no prior bibliometric analysis has specifically focused on this area. Thus, this research represents a pioneering effort in the field. The study explores the historical development of the field, publication trends, the most productive authors, countries, institutions, and journals; and visualizes collaboration networks and thematic orientations to map the existing literature. Accordingly, the main objective of this study is to evaluate the current state and future directions of scientific knowledge production on quality and accreditation in medical education. Additionally, time series analysis was conducted to estimate the potential trajectory of scientific publications in this field over the coming years. Thus, the study aims not only to present current research dynamics but also to highlight the future potential for knowledge production. In this context, the study seeks to answer the following two research questions: 1. What are the current dynamics of knowledge production on quality and accreditation in medical education within the scientific literature? 2. What is the projected trajectory of scientific publication output in this field over the next six years? METHODS Since this study aims to analyze global research trends in the field of quality and accreditation in medical education through bibliometric methods, it was designed within the framework of the descriptive survey model (Bryman, 2016 ). In addition, the time series analysis conducted to project the potential scientific publication output in this field over the next decade adds not only a descriptive but also an original research dimension to the study (Walliman, 2017 ). In this regard, the study offers a unique contribution by not only structurally analyzing the existing literature but also scientifically projecting future trends in the field. The research data were obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) database, covering the literature published between 1992 and 2024. During the data collection process, the keywords “medical education”, “quality”, and “accreditation” were combined using Boolean operators and searched in the Author Keywords, Title, Abstract, and Topic fields. The study included scientific outputs such as articles, editorial materials, conference proceedings, books, book chapters, bibliographies, book reviews, and meeting abstracts that focused on quality and accreditation in medical education. As a result, a total of 1,189 scientific publications were identified and included in the analysis. To project future trends in the field, a time series analysis was conducted to forecast the expected scientific publication output for the period 2025–2030. Two modelling approaches were applied: a classical linear trend model covering the entire study period (1992–2024) and an alternative model incorporating a structural breakpoint in 2020 to account for the postpandemic decline in publication counts. Model performance and parsimony were evaluated using the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), with lower values indicating a better balance between goodness of fit and model complexity. Additionally, the coefficient of determination (R²) was calculated to assess the explanatory power of each model, where higher R² values represent a greater proportion of variance in the dependent variable explained by the model. Time series analysis was conducted using the R statistical software. RESULTS The findings of the study indicate that a total of 1,189 scientific publications related to the field of quality and accreditation in medical education were produced between 1992 and 2024. Of these publications, 119 were single-authored, and the total number of contributing authors was 5,230. The distribution of scientific publications produced in the field of quality and accreditation in medical education over the past ten years, their average citations received (MeanTCperArt), and average annual citations (MeanTCperYear) are presented in Table 1 . Table 1 Annual distribution of scientific publications in the field of quality and accreditation in medical education, along with their average citations per article and average citations per year Year Articles N MeanTCperArt MeanTCperYear CitableYears 2014 69 30.86 2.81 11 2015 55 26.76 2.68 10 2016 61 19.59 2.18 9 2017 70 15.59 1.95 8 2018 68 15.49 2.21 7 2019 51 8.25 1.38 6 2020 93 10.49 2.1 5 2021 84 5.83 1.46 4 2022 75 3.35 1.12 3 2023 68 2.13 1.06 2 2024 56 0.45 0.45 1 A review of Table 1 reveals a general increasing trend in the number of publications related to the field of quality and accreditation in medical education over the past ten years. The number of citations received by the articles has also increased proportionally to the number of years the article has been available for citation. The noticeable decrease in 2024 can be attributed to the data collection process being conducted during the final quarter of the year. Between 1992 and 2024, the number of publications in the field exhibited a clear overall upward trend. While annual output was quite limited in the 1990s, it began to rise steadily in the 2000s, reaching its peak in 2020. However, a marked decline was observed after 2020 (Fig. 1 ). Publication trends were evaluated using two different modelling approaches. The first model considered the entire period as a single linear trend (AIC = 249.7; BIC = 254.2; R² = 0.88) and projected that the long-term growth pattern would continue in the coming years. According to this model, the number of publications is expected to start at 84 (95% C.I.: 62–105) in 2025 and exceed 98 (95% C.I.: 76–120) by 2030. The second model treated 2020 as a structural breakpoint (AIC = 234.1; BIC = 241.5; R² = 0.93) and incorporated the post-2020 decline into its forecasts. This model projects that the number of publications will start at around 50 in 2025 and continue to decrease, reaching considerably lower levels by 2030. A comparison of model fit statistics indicates that the breakpoint model, with its lower AIC and BIC values, provides a better fit to the data. As part of the study, the journals in which the analyzed publications were concentrated and the top 10 journals with the highest number of publications were examined in the context of Bradford’s Law. Bradford’s Law is a bibliometric model that explains how scientific knowledge on a particular subject is distributed across journals. According to this law, a significant portion of publications in a given field tends to be clustered in a small group of core journals, while the remaining publications are dispersed more sparsely across a larger group of journals [Brookes, 1969 ; Naranan, 1970 ]. In this context, the key journals publishing research on quality and accreditation in medical education were identified, and the publication outlets in which knowledge production is concentrated in this field were revealed. The analysis, as illustrated in Fig. 2 , indicates that research on quality and accreditation in medical education is predominantly concentrated in specialized journals dedicated to this field. Nevertheless, the presence of publications in a diverse array of journals catering to various disciplines suggests that the relevant literature possesses a multidisciplinary nature. Examining the distribution of core journals as defined by Bradford’s Law alongside the annual trends of studies published between 1992 and 2024 provides a comprehensive perspective on publication activity, offering insights into both the concentration of scholarly output and its evolution over time. The total number of publications produced by institutions conducting research on quality and accreditation in medical education between 1992 and 2024 was analyzed, revealing that Harvard University ranked first with 221 publications, followed by the University of California System with 154, the University of Pennsylvania with 152, the Mayo Clinic with 105, and the University of Toronto with 96 publications. In terms of mean article citations, publications from the UK had the highest average with 31 citations per article, followed by Canada with 28.5, the USA with 24.4, China with 8.9, and Iran with 5.3 citations per article An examination of Fig. 3 reveals that the top three most frequently used keywords in publications related to quality and accreditation in medical education between 1992 and 2024 are: medical education, accreditation, and quality improvement, respectively. An analysis of Fig. 4 shows that, in recent years, trending studies in the field of quality and accreditation in medical education have increasingly focused on topics such as diversity, health equity, and accreditation standards. An examination of Fig. 5 reveals that countries from nearly every continent have contributed to publications in the field of quality and accreditation in medical education. The figure also illustrates the presence of international collaborations in this field. The most frequent partnerships are observed between the USA and Canada, the USA and the UK, and the USA and China. DISCUSSION The quality and accreditation of medical education are widely recognised as key factors in the shaping of healthcare services worldwide (Ahn, 2020 ). The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly emphasized the essential role of quality assurance mechanisms in strengthening the healthcare workforce (WHO, 2001; WHO, 2010; WHO, 2013). This necessity is especially pronounced in low- and middle-income countries, where the absence of adequate educational infrastructure necessitates the use of accreditation as a vital instrument for enhancing the quality of medical education (Frehywot S et al, 2013 ). The findings from the bibliometric analysis in this study highlight significant patterns in publication volume, citation impact, and international collaboration within this field. The consistent increase in scientific output since the 1990s demonstrates that medical education is being recognised not only as a national priority, but also as a fundamental element in maintaining global health systems (WHO, 2013). Efforts to restructure modern medical education based on quality assurance and continuous improvement principles have likely contributed both to the proliferation of accreditation systems and the growing scientific interest in these systems. The alignment of medical education with global standards has become a central focus, particularly in today’s interconnected world, where healthcare workforce mobility and interdependence of health systems are on the rise (Bates et al., 2019 ). The time series analysis conducted in this study revealed a generally stable upward trend in the number of publications on quality and accreditation in medical education between 1992–2024, despite minor fluctuations. A brief decline observed around 2019 was followed by a notable recovery in 2020. This fluctuation may be associated with the global disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which temporarily affected research activities across multiple fields, including medical education. Two distinct modeling approaches were employed to predict future developments. The first approach, applied within the framework of classical time series analysis, forecasts a trend beginning with an estimated 84 publications in 2025 (95% CI: 62–105) and steadily increasing through 2030. The second approach treated 2020 as a structural breakpoint, interpreting the post-pandemic decline as a permanent change and predicting potential decreases in future outputs. This potential decline may be attributed to factors such as the long-term effects of the pandemic, cuts in research funding, or shifts in research priorities (Kaul et al., 2021 ).The uncertainty regarding whether the observed trend is temporary or permanent persists, necessitating continuous bibliometric monitoring and evaluation to clarify this situation. The Bradford’s Law analysis identified the journals where research on quality and accreditation in medical education are most frequently published. In this regard, journals such as Academic Medicine, Medical Teacher, and Journal of Surgical Education hold central positions in the relevant literature. Articles published in these journals are among the most cited and closely followed by experts in the field. Classified as Zone 1 journals under Bradford’s model, they host a substantial portion of research on medical education and quality-accreditation topics and play a critical role in the field’s development (Bryman, 2016 ). On the other hand, the findings show that not only medical education journals but also those from disciplines such as health policy, educational sciences, and health services management are included in Zone 1. This demonstrates that quality and accreditation in medical education have evolved into a multidisciplinary field, approached from diverse disciplinary perspectives (Al-Worafi, 2024 ). The results also show that scientific research in this area is largely concentrated in certain institutions and countries. The top three institutions in terms of publication volume are Harvard University, the University of California System, and the University of Pennsylvania. Their high publication output highlights their scientific contributions to quality assurance and accreditation processes in medical education. The leadership of U.S. institutions in this area reflects the country’s strong emphasis on standardization, assessment systems, and accreditation policies in medical education (Bedoll et al., 2021 ; Verheyden, 2016 ). In terms of countries, the USA, Canada, and the UK stand out as the most prolific contributors. This confirms the U.S.’s leadership in shaping the global literature. The long-standing quality assurance practices of established medical schools and accreditation bodies in the U.S. have directly contributed to the volume of publications in this area (Duffy, 2011 ). Similarly, the high publication numbers from the UK and Canada indicate that their medical education systems are built with a strong quality-oriented approach, both academically and politically. Citation analyses reveal that publications from these countries are strong not only in quantity but also in scientific impact. Furthermore, countries such as the USA, Canada, UK, and China are among the most active in producing international collaborative publications, indicating that medical education research on quality and accreditation is increasingly conducted through interdisciplinary and multinational partnerships (Fishbain et al., 2019 ; Tackett et al., 2019 ). The most frequently used keywords in the analyzed publications include medical education, quality assurance, accreditation, curriculum development, and educational standards. This indicates that most studies in the literature focus on quality management in medical education, accreditation processes, and curriculum development. These keywords also show that the field is approached not only from an educational perspective but also through political, managerial, and systemic lenses (Binks et al., 2021 ; Liu X et al., 2023 ). Thematic trends over the years also suggest that in recent years, terms such as diversity, health equity, and accreditation standards have become increasingly prominent. This trend highlights the strategic role that quality and accreditation play in evolving health systems and international mobility. Consideration of concepts such as educational sustainability, social accountability, and patient safety further emphasizes the interdisciplinary and holistic nature of this research area (Shaw et al., 2021 ; Lopez et al., 2022 ). Over the past three decades, research on quality and accreditation in medical education has grown steadily, with international collaborations becoming stronger and the influence of these studies, as reflected in citations, continuing to rise. The findings indicate that this field is not merely a technical evaluation process, but rather a strategic component with implications for public health, equity in education, and sustainability. In particular, the rising interest observed in developing countries appears closely linked to the need for training qualified health professionals and efforts to achieve international recognition. The time series analysis conducted in this study suggests that, if the upward trend observed in the past continues, the number of publications in the coming years is likely to increase. However, the alternative model that considers 2020 as a structural breakpoint indicates that, should the post-pandemic decline prove to be permanent, publication output may decrease. This dual projection underscores the importance of closely monitoring production trends in the field and taking them into account in policy development processes. Looking ahead, interdisciplinary collaborations, evaluation models sensitive to cultural context, and international comparative research are expected to make significant contributions to the scientific advancement of this field. In the aftermath of global health crises, the quality and sustainability of education have become even more critical, and research in this area is anticipated to serve as a valuable guide for policymakers, educational leaders, and academics. Limitations of the Study This study was conducted based on the Web of Science (WoS) database, and publications indexed in other databases such as Scopus, PubMed, or ERIC were not included in the analysis. Furthermore, the study covers the period from 1992 to 2024, which excludes publications from earlier or later years. As bibliometric analyses focus primarily on quantitative indicators, the study does not evaluate the content depth or qualitative contributions of the included publications. Declarations Funding The author funded the research and publication of this article. Declaration of Competing Interest The author declares that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper. Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing The author declares that received support from AI only in the language translation Author Contribution A.A.Ö.: Conceptualization, Methodology, Data curation, Formal analysis, Software, Visualization, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing. H.S.: Conceptualization, Methodology, Data curation, Formal analysis, Validation, Visualization, Writing - review & editing. İ.B.: Supervision, Methodology, Writing - review & editing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. References Ahn, D. (2020). Current trend of accreditation within medical education. Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions , 17 , 30. https://doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2020.17.30 Akdemir, N., Peterson, L. N., Campbell, C. M., & Scheele, F. (2020). Evaluation of continuous quality improvement in accreditation for medical education. BMC Medical Education , 20 (Suppl 1), 308. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02124-2 Al-Worafi, Y. M. (2024). Quality and accreditation: Overview. In Y. M. Al-Worafi (Ed.), Handbook of medical and health sciences in developing countries: Education, practice, and research (pp. 1–21). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030- 74786-2 Bates, J., Schrewe, B., Ellaway, R. H., Teunissen, P. W., & Watling, C. (2019). Embracing standardisation and contextualisation in medical education. Medical Education , 53 (1), 15–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13740 Bedoll, D., van Zanten, M., & McKinley, D. (2021). Global trends in medical education accreditation. Human Resources for Health , 19 , 70. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-021-00588-x Binks, A. P., LeClair, R. J., Willey, J. M., Brenner, J. M., Pickering, J. D., Moore, J. S., Huggett, K. N., Everett, L. A., Stephenson, C., & Herman, R. L. (2021). Changing medical education, overnight: The curricular response to COVID-19 of nine medical schools. Teaching and Learning in Medicine , 33 (3), 334–342. https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2021.1891543 Brookes, B. C. (1969). Bradford's Law and the bibliography of science. Nature , 224 , 953–956. https://doi.org/10.1038/224953a0 Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press. Duffy, T. P. (2011). The Flexner Report – 100 years later. Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine , 84 (3), 269–276. Fishbain, D., Danon, Y. L., & Nissanholz-Gannot, R. (2019). Accreditation systems for postgraduate medical education: A comparison of five countries. Advances in Health Sciences Education , 24 , 503–524. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-019-09880-x Frank, J. R., Taber, S., van Zanten, M., Scheele, F., & Blouin, D. (2020). The role of accreditation in 21st century health professions education: Report of an International Consensus Group. BMC Medical Education , 20 (Suppl 1), 305. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02121-5 Frehywot, S., Vovides, Y., Talib, Z., Mikhail, N., Ross, H., Wohltjen, H., Bedada, S., Korhumel, K., Koumare, A. K., & Scott, J. (2013). E-learning in medical education in resource constrained low- and middle-income countries. Human Resources for Health , 11 (1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-11-4 Kaul, V., Gallo de Moraes, A., Khateeb, D., Greenstein, Y., Winter, G., Chae, J. M., Stewart, N. H., Qadir, N., & Dangayach, N. S. (2021). Medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chest , 159 (5), 1949–1960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2020.12.026 Liu, X., Feng, J., Liu, C., Chu, R., Lv, M., Zhong, N., Zhu, M., Chen, D., Miao, Y., Lei, Z., & Zhang, B. (2023). Medical education systems in China: Development, status, and evaluation. Academic Medicine , 98 (1), 43–49. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000004919 Lopez, M., Pérez-Villalobos, C., Suárez, D., & Ar, A. Y. (2022). The training of a new socially responsible generation of health professionals with a patient-centered vision. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva , 27 (8), 3043–3051. https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232022278.07392021 Naranan, S. (1970). Bradford's Law of bibliography of science: An interpretation. Nature , 227 , 631–632. https://doi.org/10.1038/227631a0 Pritchard, A. (1969). Statistical bibliography or bibliometrics. Journal of Documentation , 25 (4), 348–349. Shaw, E., Walpole, S., McLean, M., Alvarez-Nieto, C., Barna, S., Bazin, K., Behrens, G., Chase, H., Duane, B., El Omrani, O., Elf, M., Faerron Guzman, C. A., Falceto de Barros, E., Gibbs, T. J., Groome, J., Hackett, F., Harden, J., Hothersall, E. J., Hourihane, M., ... Woollard, R. (2021). AMEE consensus statement: Planetary health and education for sustainable healthcare. Medical Teacher , 43 (3), 272–286. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.1860207 Soundariya, K., Kalaiselvan, G., Rajalakshmi, M., & Sindhuri, R. (2022). Implementation and evaluation of competency-based medical education in Phase I of undergraduate medical curriculum. Journal of Advances in Medical Education & Professionalism , 10 (4), 228–234. https://doi.org/10.30476/JAMP.2022.94999.1616 Tackett, S., Zhang, C., Nassery, N., Caufield-Noll, C., & van Zanten, M. (2019). Describing the evidence base for accreditation in undergraduate medical education internationally: A scoping review. Academic Medicine , 94 (12), 1995–2008. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000002857 Verheyden, C. N. (2016). Medical accreditation in the United States: What for? Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery , 138 (6), 1367–1370. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0000000000002780 Walliman, N. (2017). Research methods: The basics (2nd ed.). Routledge. World Health Organization. (2001). WHO guidelines for quality assurance of basic medical education in the Western Pacific Region . World Health Organization, Regional Office for the Western Pacific. World Health Organization. (2010). Framework for action on interprofessional education and collaborative practice . World Health Organization. World Health Organization. (2013). Transforming and scaling up health professionals' education and training . World Health Organization. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. 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-8500658","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":569619106,"identity":"a5d5275c-1172-432f-9aa3-d733879bf3a6","order_by":0,"name":"Asena Ayça ÖZDEMİR","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA/klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFCDAyBUcQDCfkC8ljMHGHhA7ARitTAwtkG0MODTwt/A/EziR42NPd/x7sTDlfPuyNmLHX4ItMVOTrcBuxaJA2xmkj3H0pglz5zdcPDstmfGPNJpBkAtycZmB3C6x0yage0wm8GN3A0HG7cdTuyRTgBpOZC4DYcW+QPs36QZ/h3mMbj/FqhlDkhL+ge8WgwO8JhJM7YdljC4wQvU0gDSkoPfFsPDPMWWvX1pBpJngA5rOHbYmOd2TsGBBAPcfpE73r7xxo9voBA7u/ljQ81hOfbZ6Zs/fKiwk8PpfWYGFglsDsahHKrpA17pUTAKRsEoGAUAK+Jo+KOXxiAAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Mersin University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Asena","middleName":"Ayça","lastName":"ÖZDEMİR","suffix":""},{"id":569619107,"identity":"4acea73e-598e-4234-a2ee-c132aa796779","order_by":1,"name":"Hüseyin SELVİ","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Mersin University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Hüseyin","middleName":"","lastName":"SELVİ","suffix":""},{"id":569619108,"identity":"4cb31216-5b13-4bdb-bc46-587eaca1359c","order_by":2,"name":"İbrahim BAŞHAN","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Mersin University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"İbrahim","middleName":"","lastName":"BAŞHAN","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-02 11:54:08","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-8500658/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8500658/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":99761073,"identity":"1b915eee-e8fe-4e07-942e-f13705d36508","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 06:58:18","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":1095726,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"FullmanuscriptBibliometric.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/29c46cd7041dd122947cb4fd.docx"},{"id":99761068,"identity":"3e0d26cc-de49-4910-8fc3-2179efa7a71e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 06:58:18","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":5049,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"0cf489667a6d416fbd340fe2b29a0e74.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/3c6926f5eab60ce32f8a5638.json"},{"id":99761069,"identity":"8890ca16-87f7-4f3d-b698-31d57fc02b1c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 06:58:18","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":74902,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"0cf489667a6d416fbd340fe2b29a0e741enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/925e0c8a7bb80fdaaf596f84.xml"},{"id":99798652,"identity":"38979477-35da-4fa0-9da4-9f00aa66bdb3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 13:48:43","extension":"png","order_by":8,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":47699,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/04ca4cfd19936cc2b22e0e32.png"},{"id":99761079,"identity":"c67f990b-aa34-41e3-99bf-5d83c14c1072","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 06:58:19","extension":"png","order_by":9,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":15708,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/40fee8adb36598d8b7f1d1e9.png"},{"id":99761074,"identity":"b47891a1-5b3d-4b9a-8d2d-4d722889b28e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 06:58:18","extension":"png","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":108520,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/2a286ef6df81fe53c1151712.png"},{"id":99799076,"identity":"0b91301c-f9c9-4ae9-8b38-53b89c55ec33","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 13:49:13","extension":"png","order_by":11,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":18193,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/b69cc12800b5255bc382d7e9.png"},{"id":99761072,"identity":"8178cb5b-3256-4255-88a1-70650c6ac46c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 06:58:18","extension":"png","order_by":12,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":32270,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/0f7a40442b2c05134b21aa82.png"},{"id":99761075,"identity":"9909c17d-2db2-4a8c-8850-5e9406485540","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 06:58:19","extension":"xml","order_by":13,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":74250,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"0cf489667a6d416fbd340fe2b29a0e741structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/81fc4467f47ac3779c5e2a5c.xml"},{"id":99761077,"identity":"aa8c04ce-2a73-4c2f-abff-170a383897cc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 06:58:19","extension":"html","order_by":14,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":80558,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/2f0b0b55cd4360cc8566e57d.html"},{"id":99761081,"identity":"fee0d6f8-c2a5-4b0e-8ead-bdf181354cbc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 06:58:21","extension":"jpeg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":363056,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eTime Series Analysis (A: Publication Trends, B: Publication Trends and Forecasts with 2020 Breakpoint)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/d4b7c72dfa75e36777bad006.jpeg"},{"id":99761067,"identity":"a9648721-96c9-4e09-a8ac-6d55c63448bd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 06:58:18","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":74741,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eCore Sources by Bradford’s Law\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/f224ea8fd22b6ddd9c9e04f6.png"},{"id":99761080,"identity":"21c28940-5ec6-473d-8969-4f3c972d62e1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 06:58:19","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":697376,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eMost frequently used keywords in publications on quality and accreditation in medical education between 1992 and 2024\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/60abb76cee22b060f1e10504.png"},{"id":99761085,"identity":"c8a8edd9-f612-4d71-bea6-81d9dbd28d1d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 06:58:24","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":89126,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eTrending research topics in publications on quality and accreditation in medical education\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/2be702884da217cf0fb75cc7.png"},{"id":99761070,"identity":"a3cd8782-ddb1-49f8-ad23-24fd7e43413f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-08 06:58:18","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":179217,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003ePartnership map of countries involved in multinational publications on quality and accreditation in medical education\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/65af58a37532e573255edd08.png"},{"id":101397796,"identity":"1e1e7a2c-1cdb-4115-adbf-72124ba617a8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-29 09:37:13","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1655397,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8500658/v1/b9d8dcfb-12f0-433f-bc9a-41bf867c811c.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Global Research Trends in Quality and Accreditation in Medical Education: A Bibliometric Analysis with Time Series Forecasting","fulltext":[{"header":"INTRODUCTION","content":"\u003cp\u003eJust as individuals evolve, institutions and educational systems also undergo unique developmental processes. Medical education, as a component of this evolutionary trajectory, is shaped by societies\u0026rsquo; historical perspectives on health and has deep-rooted traditions. As a field that directly impacts human life, the quality of medical education is a key determinant not only of individual well-being but also of public health. Therefore, the quality of medical education determines not only the professional competence of physicians but also the extent to which they adhere to ethical values, patient safety, and evidence-based practices (Frank et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Quality in education must be evaluated not only by outcomes but also by the transparency of processes, continuous improvement efforts, and responsiveness to societal needs (Soundariya et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). At this point, accreditation emerges as a systematic and objective mechanism for ensuring quality at both institutional and program levels. Accreditation systems that assess the compliance of medical education institutions with established standards also aim to ensure the global comparability and sustainability of undergraduate medical education (Akdemir et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study presents a bibliometric analysis aimed at understanding how the concepts of quality and accreditation in medical education are addressed in the scientific literature. Today, bibliometric analyses are widely used to understand developments in the scientific literature, identify research trends, and analyze prominent themes in knowledge production. Introduced by Pritchard (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1969\u003c/span\u003e), this method provides insight into the structural and historical development of a field by quantitatively examining related publications (Pritchard, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1969\u003c/span\u003e). Bibliometrics offers a comprehensive evaluation not only by counting publications but also by analyzing impact levels, citation patterns, collaboration networks, and thematic concentrations. In this context, a bibliometric approach provides a valuable framework for evaluating knowledge production in the dynamic and multidimensional field of quality and accreditation in medical education. In this study, scientific publications on quality and accreditation in medical education were analyzed using bibliometric methods. To the best of our knowledge, no prior bibliometric analysis has specifically focused on this area. Thus, this research represents a pioneering effort in the field. The study explores the historical development of the field, publication trends, the most productive authors, countries, institutions, and journals; and visualizes collaboration networks and thematic orientations to map the existing literature. Accordingly, the main objective of this study is to evaluate the current state and future directions of scientific knowledge production on quality and accreditation in medical education.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdditionally, time series analysis was conducted to estimate the potential trajectory of scientific publications in this field over the coming years. Thus, the study aims not only to present current research dynamics but also to highlight the future potential for knowledge production. In this context, the study seeks to answer the following two research questions: 1. What are the current dynamics of knowledge production on quality and accreditation in medical education within the scientific literature? 2. What is the projected trajectory of scientific publication output in this field over the next six years?\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"METHODS","content":"\u003cp\u003eSince this study aims to analyze global research trends in the field of quality and accreditation in medical education through bibliometric methods, it was designed within the framework of the descriptive survey model (Bryman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). In addition, the time series analysis conducted to project the potential scientific publication output in this field over the next decade adds not only a descriptive but also an original research dimension to the study (Walliman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). In this regard, the study offers a unique contribution by not only structurally analyzing the existing literature but also scientifically projecting future trends in the field.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe research data were obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) database, covering the literature published between 1992 and 2024. During the data collection process, the keywords \u0026ldquo;medical education\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;quality\u0026rdquo;, and \u0026ldquo;accreditation\u0026rdquo; were combined using Boolean operators and searched in the Author Keywords, Title, Abstract, and Topic fields.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study included scientific outputs such as articles, editorial materials, conference proceedings, books, book chapters, bibliographies, book reviews, and meeting abstracts that focused on quality and accreditation in medical education. As a result, a total of 1,189 scientific publications were identified and included in the analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo project future trends in the field, a time series analysis was conducted to forecast the expected scientific publication output for the period 2025\u0026ndash;2030. Two modelling approaches were applied: a classical linear trend model covering the entire study period (1992\u0026ndash;2024) and an alternative model incorporating a structural breakpoint in 2020 to account for the postpandemic decline in publication counts. Model performance and parsimony were evaluated using the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), with lower values indicating a better balance between goodness of fit and model complexity. Additionally, the coefficient of determination (R\u0026sup2;) was calculated to assess the explanatory power of each model, where higher R\u0026sup2; values represent a greater proportion of variance in the dependent variable explained by the model. Time series analysis was conducted using the R statistical software.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"RESULTS","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe findings of the study indicate that a total of 1,189 scientific publications related to the field of quality and accreditation in medical education were produced between 1992 and 2024. Of these publications, 119 were single-authored, and the total number of contributing authors was 5,230. The distribution of scientific publications produced in the field of quality and accreditation in medical education over the past ten years, their average citations received (MeanTCperArt), and average annual citations (MeanTCperYear) are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\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\u003eAnnual distribution of scientific publications in the field of quality and accreditation in medical education, along with their average citations per article and average citations per year\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\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 \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYear\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eArticles N\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMeanTCperArt\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMeanTCperYear\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCitableYears\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2014\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2015\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2016\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e61\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.59\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2017\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.59\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.95\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2018\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.49\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2019\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2020\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e93\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.49\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2021\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e84\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2022\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2024\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\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\u003eA review of Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e reveals a general increasing trend in the number of publications related to the field of quality and accreditation in medical education over the past ten years. The number of citations received by the articles has also increased proportionally to the number of years the article has been available for citation. The noticeable decrease in 2024 can be attributed to the data collection process being conducted during the final quarter of the year.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBetween 1992 and 2024, the number of publications in the field exhibited a clear overall upward trend. While annual output was quite limited in the 1990s, it began to rise steadily in the 2000s, reaching its peak in 2020. However, a marked decline was observed after 2020 (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Publication trends were evaluated using two different modelling approaches. The first model considered the entire period as a single linear trend (AIC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;249.7; BIC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;254.2; R\u0026sup2; = 0.88) and projected that the long-term growth pattern would continue in the coming years. According to this model, the number of publications is expected to start at 84 (95% C.I.: 62\u0026ndash;105) in 2025 and exceed 98 (95% C.I.: 76\u0026ndash;120) by 2030. The second model treated 2020 as a structural breakpoint (AIC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;234.1; BIC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;241.5; R\u0026sup2; = 0.93) and incorporated the post-2020 decline into its forecasts. This model projects that the number of publications will start at around 50 in 2025 and continue to decrease, reaching considerably lower levels by 2030. A comparison of model fit statistics indicates that the breakpoint model, with its lower AIC and BIC values, provides a better fit to the data.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs part of the study, the journals in which the analyzed publications were concentrated and the top 10 journals with the highest number of publications were examined in the context of Bradford\u0026rsquo;s Law. Bradford\u0026rsquo;s Law is a bibliometric model that explains how scientific knowledge on a particular subject is distributed across journals. According to this law, a significant portion of publications in a given field tends to be clustered in a small group of core journals, while the remaining publications are dispersed more sparsely across a larger group of journals [Brookes, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1969\u003c/span\u003e; Naranan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1970\u003c/span\u003e]. In this context, the key journals publishing research on quality and accreditation in medical education were identified, and the publication outlets in which knowledge production is concentrated in this field were revealed. The analysis, as illustrated in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, indicates that research on quality and accreditation in medical education is predominantly concentrated in specialized journals dedicated to this field. Nevertheless, the presence of publications in a diverse array of journals catering to various disciplines suggests that the relevant literature possesses a multidisciplinary nature. Examining the distribution of core journals as defined by Bradford\u0026rsquo;s Law alongside the annual trends of studies published between 1992 and 2024 provides a comprehensive perspective on publication activity, offering insights into both the concentration of scholarly output and its evolution over time.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe total number of publications produced by institutions conducting research on quality and accreditation in medical education between 1992 and 2024 was analyzed, revealing that Harvard University ranked first with 221 publications, followed by the University of California System with 154, the University of Pennsylvania with 152, the Mayo Clinic with 105, and the University of Toronto with 96 publications. In terms of mean article citations, publications from the UK had the highest average with 31 citations per article, followed by Canada with 28.5, the USA with 24.4, China with 8.9, and Iran with 5.3 citations per article\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn examination of Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e reveals that the top three most frequently used keywords in publications related to quality and accreditation in medical education between 1992 and 2024 are: medical education, accreditation, and quality improvement, respectively.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn analysis of Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e shows that, in recent years, trending studies in the field of quality and accreditation in medical education have increasingly focused on topics such as diversity, health equity, and accreditation standards.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn examination of Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e reveals that countries from nearly every continent have contributed to publications in the field of quality and accreditation in medical education. The figure also illustrates the presence of international collaborations in this field. The most frequent partnerships are observed between the USA and Canada, the USA and the UK, and the USA and China.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"DISCUSSION","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe quality and accreditation of medical education are widely recognised as key factors in the shaping of healthcare services worldwide (Ahn, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly emphasized the essential role of quality assurance mechanisms in strengthening the healthcare workforce (WHO, 2001; WHO, 2010; WHO, 2013). This necessity is especially pronounced in low- and middle-income countries, where the absence of adequate educational infrastructure necessitates the use of accreditation as a vital instrument for enhancing the quality of medical education (Frehywot S et al, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). The findings from the bibliometric analysis in this study highlight significant patterns in publication volume, citation impact, and international collaboration within this field. The consistent increase in scientific output since the 1990s demonstrates that medical education is being recognised not only as a national priority, but also as a fundamental element in maintaining global health systems (WHO, 2013).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEfforts to restructure modern medical education based on quality assurance and continuous improvement principles have likely contributed both to the proliferation of accreditation systems and the growing scientific interest in these systems. The alignment of medical education with global standards has become a central focus, particularly in today\u0026rsquo;s interconnected world, where healthcare workforce mobility and interdependence of health systems are on the rise (Bates et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). The time series analysis conducted in this study revealed a generally stable upward trend in the number of publications on quality and accreditation in medical education between 1992\u0026ndash;2024, despite minor fluctuations. A brief decline observed around 2019 was followed by a notable recovery in 2020. This fluctuation may be associated with the global disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which temporarily affected research activities across multiple fields, including medical education. Two distinct modeling approaches were employed to predict future developments. The first approach, applied within the framework of classical time series analysis, forecasts a trend beginning with an estimated 84 publications in 2025 (95% CI: 62\u0026ndash;105) and steadily increasing through 2030. The second approach treated 2020 as a structural breakpoint, interpreting the post-pandemic decline as a permanent change and predicting potential decreases in future outputs. This potential decline may be attributed to factors such as the long-term effects of the pandemic, cuts in research funding, or shifts in research priorities (Kaul et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).The uncertainty regarding whether the observed trend is temporary or permanent persists, necessitating continuous bibliometric monitoring and evaluation to clarify this situation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Bradford\u0026rsquo;s Law analysis identified the journals where research on quality and accreditation in medical education are most frequently published. In this regard, journals such as Academic Medicine, Medical Teacher, and Journal of Surgical Education hold central positions in the relevant literature. Articles published in these journals are among the most cited and closely followed by experts in the field. Classified as Zone 1 journals under Bradford\u0026rsquo;s model, they host a substantial portion of research on medical education and quality-accreditation topics and play a critical role in the field\u0026rsquo;s development (Bryman, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). On the other hand, the findings show that not only medical education journals but also those from disciplines such as health policy, educational sciences, and health services management are included in Zone 1. This demonstrates that quality and accreditation in medical education have evolved into a multidisciplinary field, approached from diverse disciplinary perspectives (Al-Worafi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). The results also show that scientific research in this area is largely concentrated in certain institutions and countries. The top three institutions in terms of publication volume are Harvard University, the University of California System, and the University of Pennsylvania. Their high publication output highlights their scientific contributions to quality assurance and accreditation processes in medical education. The leadership of U.S. institutions in this area reflects the country\u0026rsquo;s strong emphasis on standardization, assessment systems, and accreditation policies in medical education (Bedoll et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Verheyden, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn terms of countries, the USA, Canada, and the UK stand out as the most prolific contributors. This confirms the U.S.\u0026rsquo;s leadership in shaping the global literature. The long-standing quality assurance practices of established medical schools and accreditation bodies in the U.S. have directly contributed to the volume of publications in this area (Duffy, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e). Similarly, the high publication numbers from the UK and Canada indicate that their medical education systems are built with a strong quality-oriented approach, both academically and politically. Citation analyses reveal that publications from these countries are strong not only in quantity but also in scientific impact. Furthermore, countries such as the USA, Canada, UK, and China are among the most active in producing international collaborative publications, indicating that medical education research on quality and accreditation is increasingly conducted through interdisciplinary and multinational partnerships (Fishbain et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Tackett et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe most frequently used keywords in the analyzed publications include medical education, quality assurance, accreditation, curriculum development, and educational standards. This indicates that most studies in the literature focus on quality management in medical education, accreditation processes, and curriculum development. These keywords also show that the field is approached not only from an educational perspective but also through political, managerial, and systemic lenses (Binks et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Liu X et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Thematic trends over the years also suggest that in recent years, terms such as diversity, health equity, and accreditation standards have become increasingly prominent. This trend highlights the strategic role that quality and accreditation play in evolving health systems and international mobility. Consideration of concepts such as educational sustainability, social accountability, and patient safety further emphasizes the interdisciplinary and holistic nature of this research area (Shaw et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Lopez et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Over the past three decades, research on quality and accreditation in medical education has grown steadily, with international collaborations becoming stronger and the influence of these studies, as reflected in citations, continuing to rise. The findings indicate that this field is not merely a technical evaluation process, but rather a strategic component with implications for public health, equity in education, and sustainability. In particular, the rising interest observed in developing countries appears closely linked to the need for training qualified health professionals and efforts to achieve international recognition.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe time series analysis conducted in this study suggests that, if the upward trend observed in the past continues, the number of publications in the coming years is likely to increase. However, the alternative model that considers 2020 as a structural breakpoint indicates that, should the post-pandemic decline prove to be permanent, publication output may decrease. This dual projection underscores the importance of closely monitoring production trends in the field and taking them into account in policy development processes. Looking ahead, interdisciplinary collaborations, evaluation models sensitive to cultural context, and international comparative research are expected to make significant contributions to the scientific advancement of this field. In the aftermath of global health crises, the quality and sustainability of education have become even more critical, and research in this area is anticipated to serve as a valuable guide for policymakers, educational leaders, and academics.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLimitations of the Study\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study was conducted based on the Web of Science (WoS) database, and publications indexed in other databases such as Scopus, PubMed, or ERIC were not included in the analysis. Furthermore, the study covers the period from 1992 to 2024, which excludes publications from earlier or later years. As bibliometric analyses focus primarily on quantitative indicators, the study does not evaluate the content depth or qualitative contributions of the included publications.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author funded the research and publication of this article.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDeclaration of Competing Interest\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author declares that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDeclaration of generative AI in scientific writing\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe author declares that received support from AI only in the language translation\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA.A.\u0026Ouml;.: Conceptualization, Methodology, Data curation, Formal analysis, Software, Visualization, Writing - original draft, Writing - review \u0026amp; editing. H.S.: Conceptualization, Methodology, Data curation, Formal analysis, Validation, Visualization, Writing - review \u0026amp; editing. İ.B.: Supervision, Methodology, Writing - review \u0026amp; editing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAhn, D. (2020). Current trend of accreditation within medical education. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e17\u003c/em\u003e, 30. https://doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2020.17.30 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAkdemir, N., Peterson, L. N., Campbell, C. M., \u0026amp; Scheele, F. (2020). Evaluation of continuous quality improvement in accreditation for medical education. \u003cem\u003eBMC Medical Education\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e20\u003c/em\u003e(Suppl 1), 308. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02124-2 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAl-Worafi, Y. M. (2024). Quality and accreditation: Overview. In Y. M. Al-Worafi (Ed.), \u003cem\u003eHandbook of medical and health sciences in developing countries: Education, practice, and research\u003c/em\u003e (pp. 1\u0026ndash;21). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030- 74786-2 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBates, J., Schrewe, B., Ellaway, R. H., Teunissen, P. W., \u0026amp; Watling, C. (2019). Embracing standardisation and contextualisation in medical education. \u003cem\u003eMedical Education\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e53\u003c/em\u003e(1), 15\u0026ndash;24. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13740 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBedoll, D., van Zanten, M., \u0026amp; McKinley, D. (2021). Global trends in medical education accreditation. \u003cem\u003eHuman Resources for Health\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e19\u003c/em\u003e, 70. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-021-00588-x \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBinks, A. P., LeClair, R. J., Willey, J. M., Brenner, J. M., Pickering, J. D., Moore, J. S., Huggett, K. N., Everett, L. A., Stephenson, C., \u0026amp; Herman, R. L. (2021). Changing medical education, overnight: The curricular response to COVID-19 of nine medical schools. \u003cem\u003eTeaching and Learning in Medicine\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e33\u003c/em\u003e(3), 334\u0026ndash;342. https://doi.org/10.1080/10401334.2021.1891543 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrookes, B. C. (1969). Bradford\u0026apos;s Law and the bibliography of science. \u003cem\u003eNature\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e224\u003c/em\u003e, 953\u0026ndash;956. https://doi.org/10.1038/224953a0 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBryman, A. (2016). \u003cem\u003eSocial research methods\u003c/em\u003e (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDuffy, T. P. (2011). The Flexner Report \u0026ndash; 100 years later. \u003cem\u003eYale Journal of Biology and Medicine\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e84\u003c/em\u003e(3), 269\u0026ndash;276.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFishbain, D., Danon, Y. L., \u0026amp; Nissanholz-Gannot, R. (2019). Accreditation systems for postgraduate medical education: A comparison of five countries. \u003cem\u003eAdvances in Health Sciences Education\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e24\u003c/em\u003e, 503\u0026ndash;524. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-019-09880-x\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank, J. R., Taber, S., van Zanten, M., Scheele, F., \u0026amp; Blouin, D. (2020). The role of accreditation in 21st century health professions education: Report of an International Consensus Group. \u003cem\u003eBMC Medical Education\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e20\u003c/em\u003e(Suppl 1), 305. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02121-5 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrehywot, S., Vovides, Y., Talib, Z., Mikhail, N., Ross, H., Wohltjen, H., Bedada, S., Korhumel, K., Koumare, A. K., \u0026amp; Scott, J. (2013). E-learning in medical education in resource constrained low- and middle-income countries. \u003cem\u003eHuman Resources for Health\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e11\u003c/em\u003e(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4491-11-4 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKaul, V., Gallo de Moraes, A., Khateeb, D., Greenstein, Y., Winter, G., Chae, J. M., Stewart, N. H., Qadir, N., \u0026amp; Dangayach, N. S. (2021). Medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. \u003cem\u003eChest\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e159\u003c/em\u003e(5), 1949\u0026ndash;1960. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2020.12.026 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLiu, X., Feng, J., Liu, C., Chu, R., Lv, M., Zhong, N., Zhu, M., Chen, D., Miao, Y., Lei, Z., \u0026amp; Zhang, B. (2023). Medical education systems in China: Development, status, and evaluation. \u003cem\u003eAcademic Medicine\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e98\u003c/em\u003e(1), 43\u0026ndash;49. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000004919 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLopez, M., P\u0026eacute;rez-Villalobos, C., Su\u0026aacute;rez, D., \u0026amp; Ar, A. Y. (2022). The training of a new socially responsible generation of health professionals with a patient-centered vision. \u003cem\u003eCi\u0026ecirc;ncia \u0026amp; Sa\u0026uacute;de Coletiva\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e27\u003c/em\u003e(8), 3043\u0026ndash;3051. https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232022278.07392021\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNaranan, S. (1970). Bradford\u0026apos;s Law of bibliography of science: An interpretation. \u003cem\u003eNature\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e227\u003c/em\u003e, 631\u0026ndash;632. https://doi.org/10.1038/227631a0 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePritchard, A. (1969). Statistical bibliography or bibliometrics. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Documentation\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e25\u003c/em\u003e(4), 348\u0026ndash;349.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShaw, E., Walpole, S., McLean, M., Alvarez-Nieto, C., Barna, S., Bazin, K., Behrens, G., Chase, H., Duane, B., El Omrani, O., Elf, M., Faerron Guzman, C. A., Falceto de Barros, E., Gibbs, T. J., Groome, J., Hackett, F., Harden, J., Hothersall, E. J., Hourihane, M., ... Woollard, R. (2021). AMEE consensus statement: Planetary health and education for sustainable healthcare. \u003cem\u003eMedical Teacher\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e43\u003c/em\u003e(3), 272\u0026ndash;286. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.1860207 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSoundariya, K., Kalaiselvan, G., Rajalakshmi, M., \u0026amp; Sindhuri, R. (2022). Implementation and evaluation of competency-based medical education in Phase I of undergraduate medical curriculum. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Advances in Medical Education \u0026amp; Professionalism\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e10\u003c/em\u003e(4), 228\u0026ndash;234. https://doi.org/10.30476/JAMP.2022.94999.1616 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTackett, S., Zhang, C., Nassery, N., Caufield-Noll, C., \u0026amp; van Zanten, M. (2019). Describing the evidence base for accreditation in undergraduate medical education internationally: A scoping review. \u003cem\u003eAcademic Medicine\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e94\u003c/em\u003e(12), 1995\u0026ndash;2008. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000002857 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVerheyden, C. N. (2016). Medical accreditation in the United States: What for? \u003cem\u003ePlastic and Reconstructive Surgery\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e138\u003c/em\u003e(6), 1367\u0026ndash;1370. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0000000000002780\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWalliman, N. (2017). \u003cem\u003eResearch methods: The basics\u003c/em\u003e (2nd ed.). Routledge.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorld Health Organization. (2001). \u003cem\u003eWHO guidelines for quality assurance of basic medical education in the Western Pacific Region\u003c/em\u003e. World Health Organization, Regional Office for the Western Pacific.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorld Health Organization. (2010). \u003cem\u003eFramework for action on interprofessional education and collaborative practice\u003c/em\u003e. World Health Organization.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorld Health Organization. (2013). \u003cem\u003eTransforming and scaling up health professionals\u0026apos; education and training\u003c/em\u003e. World Health Organization.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","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":"Medical education, Accreditation, Bibliometric analysis, Time series, Forecasting","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8500658/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8500658/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eQuality and accreditation in medical education are recognized as essential components for ensuring competent healthcare professionals, equal educational opportunities, and sustainable health systems. Global interest in this area has grown steadily, particularly over the past two decades. This study aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis of publications on quality and accreditation in medical education between 1992 and 2024 and to forecast future publication trends. Publications from 1992\u0026ndash;2024 were analyzed using bibliometric methods. Descriptive statistics were used to examine publication trends, authorship, country contributions, and citations. Time series analysis in R was applied to forecast publication counts for 2025\u0026ndash;2030. A total of 1,189 publications were identified, authored by 5,230 individuals, including 119 single-authored works. Scientific output increased markedly after 2002, peaking in 2020. The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Iran, and China were the most productive countries. Time series analysis indicated that publication growth may continue over the next six years, although a breakpoint model suggests a potential decline if the post-2020 decrease persists. The field is gaining international recognition and importance. Strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration and global research initiatives will be key to advancing quality and accreditation in medical education\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Global Research Trends in Quality and Accreditation in Medical Education: A Bibliometric Analysis with Time Series Forecasting","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-08 06:58:13","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8500658/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":"b382195f-8667-4e44-8dd7-43a06ebdf876","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 8th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-01-24T18:53:57+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-08 06:58:13","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8500658","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8500658","identity":"rs-8500658","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}