Merve ARSLAN, Taliha KARAKÖK, Fethiye AKGÜL, Ayşe BATIREL, Şiran KESKE, Önder ERGÖNÜL
Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology - 2026;8(3):295-300
Objective: This study aimed to examine the distribution of theses on healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in Türkiye, determine the publication rates of these theses in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and identify strategies to increase publication rates. Materials and Methods: Theses on HAIs completed between 2000 and 2023 were screened in the YÖKTEZ (National Thesis Center) database. For each thesis, the title, the author's specialty, academic degree, and year of completion were recorded. The included theses were subsequently searched across national and international databases to determine their publication status. For each identified publication, the article title, journal name, year of publication, and indexing status were documented. Results: A total of 1077 theses were included in the study. Of these, 34.2% were conducted in Medical Microbiology and 26.1% in Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology. Overall, 40.1% (n = 432) of the theses were converted into scientific publications. Among the published studies, 41.4% (n = 179) were indexed in Science Citation Index (SCI), Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E), or Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI). No statistically significant difference in publication rates was observed between disciplines (p = 0.7). Conclusion: Although a substantial number of theses on HAIs have been conducted in Türkiye, the rate of conversion into academic publications remains lower than expected. Increasing awareness of this issue and developing solution-oriented strategies may improve scientific productivity and publication output in this field.
