Topic-Based Analysis of Articles Published in National Dermatology Journals over the Last Decade and Evaluation of Their Citation Performance

Objective: The examination of national publications, journals, and authors provides important insight into a country’s scientific productivity and research priorities. In dermatology, previous studies have evaluated Türkiye’s contribution to the international literature; however, a comprehensive overview of thematic trends and scientific influence within national journals remains limited. The objective of this study was to identify the thematic focus of articles published in Turkish national dermatology journals between 2015 and 2024 and to evaluate the citation rates of these publications. Methods: Review and research articles published between 2015 and 2024 in Türkderm, Türkiye Klinikleri Journal of Dermatology, and Turkish Journal of Dermatology were screened. The publications were categorized into 24 subject areas. The DOI numbers of the articles were searched in Google Scholar, and their citation counts were recorded. For each subject category, the total number of citations and the average number of citations per article were calculated. Additionally, publications were grouped according to their year of publication, and the average number of citations per article was calculated for each year. Results: A total of 451 publications were classified according to research topics. Papulosquamous diseases were the most frequently published research topic, with a total of 68 studies, excluding the “other” category. Four of the ten most highly cited articles focused on psoriasis. In terms of total citation counts, “papulosquamous diseases,” “hair–nail–mucous membrane disorders,” and “acne and isotretinoin therapy” were the areas receiving the highest number of citations. Regarding the average number of citations per article, “pigmentary disorders”, “genodermatoses,” and “dermoscopy” stood out. The mean number of citations per year reached its peak at 3.78 in 2017 but demonstrated a declining trend beginning in 2020. Conclusion: Our study found that papulosquamous diseases had the highest number of publications as well as the greatest citation counts. We also determined that citation rates peaked in 2017 and demonstrated a declining trend beginning in 2020. We believe that this study, which highlights both the strengths and areas in need of improvement within the field of academic dermatology in our country, may serve as a guide for future scientific research.