Decoding Oman's scientific DNA: A multi-dimensional bibliometric analysis

This paper explores Oman's research landscape through bibliometric and altimetric techniques applied to 43,710 Scopus-indexed documents from 1912 to 2024. Using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix tools, along with data from six ranking systems and Altmetric.com, the analysis reveals that 96% of Oman's publications on Scopus emerged after 2000. The leading fields are Medicine (13.10%), Engineering (11.46%), and Computer Science (8.29%), with international collaboration accounting for 63.47% of publications. The primary research partners are India, the UK, and the USA. Sultan Qaboos University is Oman's highest-ranking institution, placing 362nd globally (QS 2025), while most other universities in the Sultanate struggle to achieve rankings, showing only ∼20.1% overall coverage—with notable disparities between Life Sciences (high coverage) and Social Sciences (low coverage). To date, no comprehensive study in Oman has combined bibliometric, ranking, and altmetric analyses to offer unique recommendations based on bibliometrics. These findings carry important implications for Oman's research policy and institutional strategy, underscoring the necessity for targeted support in underperforming fields, improved international collaboration, and enhanced public engagement strategies to ensure the nation remains visible in the global academic arena.