Publication Status of Postgraduate Theses Completed in Ankara University’s Health Sciences Institute (1984- 2023): A Biometric Study

Year 2025, Volume: 15 Issue: 2, 260 - 269, 31.08.2025

Burcu Ağdemir , Handan Özdemir Neriman Yükseltürk Şimşek , Meltem Özduyan Kılıç Ayten Demir Büşra Naz Çakır , Hilal Basak Erol , Dilara Çalışkan , Derya Çiçek Polat Işıl Özakça Banu Kaskatepe Fügen Aktan

Abstract

Aim: This study determined the publication status and index type of the journals in which the postgraduate theses were published in the Ankara University Institute of Health Sciences between 1984 and 2023.
Material and Method: The study was prepared using a bibliometric, retrospective and descriptive design. The data were analyzed using performance analysis, and descriptive statistics were used to calculate the number and percentage distributions of the data.
Results: The study determined that 3783 graduate theses (39.2% master’s theses and 60.7% doctoral theses) were prepared at Ankara University’s Institute of Health Sciences. 25.2% of master’s theses and 34.26% of doctoral theses were published, resulting in a total publication rate of 29.8% for graduate theses. Of the publications from master’s and doctoral theses, 59.6% were published in international indexes, 22% in national indexes, 16.7% in citation indexes, and 1.5% in national refereed journals.
Conclusion: The study revealed that the publication rate of postgraduate theses conducted in the health sciences institute of the relevant university was not high. In this context, the factors affecting the conversion of postgraduate theses into publications should be investigated, and solutions should be produced. Additionally, institutional arrangements should be established to ensure the publication of theses, and effective policies should be implemented to support this process.

Keywords

bibliometrics , doctoral thesis , master’s thesis , publication

References

• 1. Segre M. Higher Education and the Growth of Knowledge: A Historical Outline of Aims and Tensions. London: Routledge. 2015.
• 2. Karataş K & Erkan G. The history of social work education in Turkey. In Ü. Onat (Ed.) New approaches in social work education. 2005:112–133.
• 3. Gürüz K. Higher education in the world and in Turkey -Tarihçe ve bugün sevk ve idare sistemleri. Ankara: ÖSYM Publications. 2001.
• 4. Council of Higher Education (YÖK). New YÖK in higher education policies after 2014. https://www.yok.gov. tr/Documents/Yayinlar/Yayinlarimiz/Yuksekogretim_ politikalarinda_yeni_yok.pdf/;2014a [accessed 29.04.2024].
• 5. ORPHEUS. Members of ORPHEUS. https://www.orpheusmed.org/;2024a [accessed 04.04.2024].
• 6. Ak M, & Gülmez A. Analysis of Turkey’s International Publication Performance. Journal of Academic Studies (AID) 2006;1(1):22–49.
• 7. Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK). Turkey Scientific Publication Performance Reports. https://cabim.ulakbim.gov.tr/bibliyometrik-analiz/turkiyebilimsel-yayin-performans- raporlari/;2023 [accessed 12.04.2024].
• 8. Traynor M, Rafferty M, & Lewison G. Endogenous and exogenous research? Findings from a bibliometric study of UK nursing research. Journal of Advanced Nursing 2001; 34(2):212–222.
• 9. Oermann MH. Information sources for developing the nursing literature. International Journal of Nursing Studies 2006;45:580–587.
• 10. Roy R. International citation analysis of materials research institutions. Current Science 2004: 86(1): 9–10.
• 11. Urquhart C. From epistemic origins to journal impact factors: what do citations tell us? International Journal of Nursing Studies 2006:43;1–2.
• 12. TUBITAK Ulakbim Cahit Arf Information Center (2024). 2017–2021 Number of Scientific Publications of Countries. https://cabim.ulakbim.gov.tr/bibliyometrik-analiz/;2024 [accessed 04.05.2024].
• 13. Donthu N, Kumar S, Mukherjee D, et al. How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research 2021;133:285–296.
• 14. Karaca O, Caliskan SA, & Durak HI. The publication of health sciences theses in Turkey: A study of Ege University. Learned Publishing 2020;33:431–436.
• 15. Sipahi H, Durusoy R, Ergin I, et al. Publication rates of public health theses in international and national peerreviewed journals in Turkey. Iranian journal of public health 2012;41(9):31–35.
• 16. Yılmaz A, Yazgan EÖ, Dur B, Salman F, et al. Publication Status of Nursing Graduate Theses in Turkey: A Bibliometric Study 1977–2016. Journal of Research and Development in Nursing 2017;19(3):34–44.
• 17. Çürük GN, Özgül E, & Karadağ S. Publication status of graduate theses of internal disease nursing: A systematic review. SBÜ Journal of Nursing 2021;3(3):173–176.
• 18. Kinikoğlu, O, Güven, YÖ, Kilboz, BB. Publication and Citation Analysis of Medical Doctors’ Residency Master’s Theses Involving Animal Experiments on Rats in Turkey. Alternatives to Laboratory Animals 2020;48(1):23–28.
• 19. Çetin AÇ, Boran C, & Erdağ TK. Do otolaryngology specialty theses turn into publications? Journal of Otolaryngology 2017;27(4):185–193.
• 20. Dhaliwal U, Singh N, & Bhatia A. Masters theses from a university medical college: publication in indexed scientific journals. Indian J Ophthalmol 2010;58(2):101–104.
• 21. Küpeli İ, Kara MY, & Kayhan A. From Thesis to Publication - Analysis of 2580 theses in the field of Anesthesiology and Reanimation. Acta Medica 2022;53(2):144–149.
• 22. Nour-Eldein H, Mansour NM, & Abdulmajeed AA. Master’s and doctoral theses in family medicine and their publication output, Suez Canal University, Egypt. Journal of family medicine and primary care 2015; 4(2):162–167.
• 23. Bahadir S, Başar İ. A study on neurosurgery specialty theses and their publication status in international journals. Medical Journal of Bakirkoy 2023; 19(1): 97–103.
• 24. Sipahi OR, Serin DÇ, Pullukçu H, et al. Rates of Conversion of Medical Specialization and Doctorate Theses in Medical Microbiology, Clinical Microbiology, and Infectious Diseases to Publication in International Journals in Turkey. Microbiol Bul 2014;48(2):341–345.
• 25. Evans SC, Amaro CM, Herbert R, et al. Are you gonna publish that? Peer-reviewed publication outcomes of doctoral dissertations in psychology. PLoS One 2018; 13(2).
• 26. Maynard BR, Vaughn MG, Sarteschi CM, et al. Social work dissertation research: Contributing to scholarly discourse or the f ile drawer? Br J Soc Work 2012;44:1045–1062.
• 27. Tekin E, Karagöz S, & Akbaş İ. Analysis of Emergency Medicine Specialization Theses in Terms of Publication in Journals. Ahi Evran Med J 2019;3:26–30.
• 28. Woods S, Phillips K, & Dudash A. Dissertations and Theses in Top Nursing Publications: A Bibliometric Study. EvidenceBased Library and Information Practice 2020;15(4):68–82.
• 29. Horta H, & Li H. Nothing but publishing: the overriding goal of PhD students in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Studies in Higher Education 2023;48(2):263–282.
• 30. Hollmann M, Borrell C, Garin O, et al. Factors influencing publication of scientific articles derived from masters theses in public health. International journal of public health 2015;60(4):495–504.
• 31. Jourbert G. Master’s and doctoral theses in the faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State: publication success and problems. South African Journal of Higher Education 2005;19(4).
• 32. Contrıbutors, Non-Author. Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors. ICMJE https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/ browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the- role-of-authorsand-contributors.html/;2023 [accessed 03.05.2024].
• 33. Mouton J. How to succeed in your Master’s and Doctoral studies. Pretoria: Van Schaik 2001.
• 34. Council of Higher Education (YÖK). Regulation on Personnel of Higher Education Institutions and Higher Education Institutions for Promotion and Title Change. https://www.yok. gov.tr/kurumsal/mevzuat/;2014b [accessed 29.05.2024].
• 35. Presidential Legislation Information System. Academic Incentive Allowance Regulation. https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/ mevzuat?MevzuatNo=201811834&MevzuatTur=21&Mevzua tTertip5/;2018 [accessed 20.05.2024].
• 36. Council of Higher Education. https://www.yok.gov.tr/Sayfalar/ Haberler/2024/lisansustu-egitimin-kalitesini-artirmak- icinyayin-ve-akreditasyon-kriteri-getirildi.aspx/;2024 20.05.2024]. [accessed
• 37. ORPHEUS. Best Practices in Doctoral Education. chromeextension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https:// orpheus-med.org/wp content/uploads/2024/04/OrpheusBest-Practice-Handbook.pdf/;2024b [accessed 04.05.2024].
• 38. Nieminen P, Sipilä K, Takkinen HM, et al. Medical theses as part of the scientific training in basic medical and dental education: Experiences from Finland. BMC Med Educ 2007;7:51.
• 39. Presidency of the Interuniversity Board (ÜAK). Announcement Regarding the Change of Application Requirements for Associate Professorship. https://www.uak.gov.tr/Sayfalar/ Haberler/2023/8/docentlik-basvuru- sartlarinin-degisikligineiliskin-duyuru.aspx/;2023 [accessed 01.05.2024].