Mapping COVID-19 related research from Saudi Arabia, a scoping review. Between reality and dreams

Objectives: To map research production by Saudi-affiliated investigators in order to identify areas of strength and weakness. Method: We followed the Arksey and O’Malley (2005) framework. Medline and Cochrane databases were searched with a focus on identifying articles related to COVID-19 and Saudi Arabia following the PRISMA protocol. The study was conducted at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between March and May 2020. Results: A total of 53 articles were ultimately included. Most of the research production from Saudi Arabia was opinion and narrative reviews related to the clinicopathological features of COVID-19 as well as control and prevention of virus spread. Conclusion: The results of this scoping review identify a relative deficiency in original research, which requires further investigation. Saudi Med J 2020; Vol. 41 (8): 791-801 doi: 10.15537/smj.2020.8.25163 How to cite this article: Ibrahim Almaghlouth, Tahera Islam, Nurah Alamro, Abdulrahman Alsultan, Assim Alfadda, Saleh Al-muhsen, Abeer Almasry, Majid A Almadi, Ahmad Hersi, Ahmed BaHammam. Mapping COVID-19 related research from Saudi Arabia, a scoping review. Between reality and dreams. Saudi Med J 2020; Vol. 41 (8): 791-801. doi: 10.15537/smj.2020.8.25163