Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
2. Clinical Research Development Center, The Persian Gulf Martyrs Hospital, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran.
2
Director of Information, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran,
3
Student Research Committee, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran.
4
Ph.D Student in Knowledge and Information Science, Department of Information Science, Faculty of Educational sciences and psychology, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran,
5
Associate Professor, Department of Health, School of Health and Nutrition, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran.
Abstract
Purpose: The use of stigmatizing language can create barriers for individuals with disabilities in accessing healthcare services. Individuals with disabilities are among the groups that often experience stigmatizing language. This study aims to quantitatively analyze stigmatizing words in Persian scientific texts related to the field of disability.
Methodlogy: This research is applied in nature and utilizes bibliometric techniques. The study population includes scientific productions from four information sources: the National Ethics System in Biomedical Research for searching projects and theses with ethical codes, the Ganji Irandoc system for searching theses/dissertations, the Scientific Information Center of Jihad University, and the National Library. Stigmatizing words, including "disabled", "disability", "disabled people" and "disabled people" were searched in the articles from these four sources between the years 1392 to 1401 (2013 to 2022) in December 1402 (2023). The production trends, journals, and universities with the highest outputs, author gender, and publication visualization were mapped.
Findings: A total of 1366 documents were found, with theses showing the highest usage of stigmatizing language. The production of articles has increased by more than 2.5% over the past decade, rising from 69 documents in 1392 to 187 documents in 1401. Among the sources, theses showed the highest prevalence of stigmatizing language, followed by research proposals, articles, and books. Islamic Azad University and higher education institutions were the most prolific producers of such texts. Among journals, the “Journal of Disability Studies” published the highest number of articles containing stigmatizing language (24 articles). Gender analysis revealed that 61.59% of authors were male and 38.41% were female. The frequency of words was recorded as follows: “disabled people was (565), disability (331), disabled (251), disabled people (219).These findings indicate that stigmatizing language is often used in studies focusing on physical and mobility disabilities as well as urban accessibility challenges. Additionally, journals that received ethical approval from the National Committee for Biomedical Research Ethics showed more than a twofold increase in the use of stigmatizing language in recent years.
Conclusion: The increasing trend of stigmatizing language in Persian scientific texts highlights the necessity for developing guidelines to combat and prevent the spread of disrespectful language. It is recommended that this issue be prioritized to enhance health outcomes.
Keywords
)