King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND STRATEGIC VISION

King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) presents a robust scientific integrity profile, reflected in an overall score of 0.279. The institution demonstrates exceptional strengths in areas foundational to research quality, with very low risk in Institutional Self-Citation, Output in Institutional Journals, and Redundant Output, indicating a culture of external validation and substantive research. However, areas of concern requiring strategic attention include a significant rate of retracted publications and medium-risk levels for output in discontinued journals and a notable gap between its overall impact and that of its internally-led research. According to SCImago Institutions Rankings data, KSAU-HS has established itself as a national leader in key health-related fields, particularly in Dentistry (ranked 5th in Saudi Arabia) and Medicine (ranked 11th). These achievements strongly support its mission to provide "high quality health sciences education" and "health-related research." Nevertheless, the identified risks, especially concerning retractions and publication channels, directly challenge the "high quality" tenet of this mission. Addressing these vulnerabilities is crucial to ensure that its reputational excellence is built upon a foundation of unimpeachable scientific integrity. By focusing on strengthening pre-publication quality controls and fostering greater intellectual leadership in collaborations, KSAU-HS can fully align its operational practices with its strategic vision and solidify its role as a beacon of health sciences in the region.

ANALYSIS BY INDICATOR

Rate of Multiple Affiliations

The institution demonstrates a low-risk profile in multiple affiliations with a Z-score of -0.657, contrasting with the medium-risk national average of 0.704. This suggests that KSAU-HS possesses effective institutional resilience, with control mechanisms that appear to successfully mitigate the systemic risks of affiliation inflation observed more broadly across the country. While multiple affiliations are often a legitimate result of researcher mobility or partnerships, the university's prudent profile indicates it is less exposed to strategic attempts to inflate institutional credit or engage in “affiliation shopping,” thereby maintaining a clear and transparent representation of its collaborative footprint.

Rate of Retracted Output

KSAU-HS registers a significant risk level for retracted output with a Z-score of 1.084. Although this is a critical alert, it is slightly below the national average of 1.274, indicating that while the institution is an outlier in a global context, it exhibits marginally more control than the highly compromised national trend. Retractions are complex events, but a rate this high suggests that quality control mechanisms prior to publication may be failing systemically. This figure alerts to a serious vulnerability in the institution's integrity culture, indicating possible recurring malpractice or a lack of methodological rigor that requires immediate qualitative verification by management to safeguard its scientific reputation.

Rate of Institutional Self-Citation

With an exceptionally low Z-score of -1.347, the university shows a profound disconnection from the national trend, which sits at a medium-risk level (Z-score: 0.060). This result signifies a form of preventive isolation, where KSAU-HS does not replicate the risk dynamics of self-validation seen in its environment. A certain level of self-citation is natural, but this very low rate strongly indicates that the institution's academic influence is validated by the global community rather than being oversized by internal 'echo chambers,' confirming that its impact is driven by external recognition and not endogamous dynamics.

Rate of Output in Discontinued Journals

The institution's rate of publication in discontinued journals presents a medium risk (Z-score: 0.581), which is notably lower than the national average of 1.132. This points to a differentiated management approach, where KSAU-HS appears to moderate a risk that is more common across the country. However, a medium score still constitutes a critical alert regarding due diligence in selecting dissemination channels. This Z-score indicates that a significant portion of its scientific production is being channeled through media that may not meet international ethical or quality standards, exposing the institution to severe reputational risks and suggesting an urgent need for enhanced information literacy to avoid wasting resources on 'predatory' or low-quality practices.

Rate of Hyper-Authored Output

KSAU-HS displays a medium risk for hyper-authored output (Z-score: 0.248), a moderate deviation from the low-risk national standard (Z-score: -0.763). This suggests the institution shows a greater sensitivity to risk factors related to authorship inflation than its national peers. In disciplines outside of 'Big Science,' where extensive author lists are not structurally required, a high Z-score can indicate a dilution of individual accountability and transparency. This serves as an important signal for the institution to review its authorship policies and distinguish between necessary massive collaboration and potentially 'honorary' or political authorship practices.

Gap between Impact of total output and the impact of output with leadership

The university exhibits a medium-risk Z-score of 1.804 in the gap between its overall impact and the impact of its led research, a figure that indicates high exposure as it is significantly greater than the national average of 0.491. A very wide positive gap signals a potential sustainability risk, suggesting that the institution's scientific prestige may be dependent and exogenous, not structural. This high value invites a strategic reflection on whether its excellence metrics result from genuine internal capacity or from strategic positioning in collaborations where KSAU-HS does not exercise primary intellectual leadership.

Rate of Hyperprolific Authors

With a low-risk Z-score of -0.684, KSAU-HS effectively resists the national trend, which is characterized by a medium-risk level of 2.211. This demonstrates strong institutional resilience, as its internal control mechanisms appear to successfully mitigate the systemic risks associated with extreme publication volumes. While high productivity can be legitimate, the university's low score indicates it is not exposed to potential imbalances between quantity and quality, such as coercive authorship or 'salami slicing,' thereby protecting the integrity of its scientific record.

Rate of Output in Institutional Journals

The university maintains a very low risk for output in its own journals (Z-score: -0.268), a rate that is even slightly below the already minimal national average (Z-score: -0.234). This result represents a state of total operational silence on this indicator, confirming an absence of risk signals. By avoiding excessive dependence on in-house journals, KSAU-HS effectively circumvents potential conflicts of interest and academic endogamy, ensuring its scientific production undergoes independent external peer review. This practice enhances its global visibility and validates its research through standard competitive channels.

Rate of Redundant Output

KSAU-HS achieves a very low risk score of -0.734 for redundant output, a figure that reflects a preventive isolation from the national context, which registers a medium risk (Z-score: 0.188). This excellent result shows that the institution does not replicate the risk dynamics of data fragmentation common in its environment. A low value in this indicator signals a commitment to publishing coherent, significant studies rather than artificially inflating productivity by dividing research into minimal publishable units. This practice upholds the integrity of the scientific evidence produced and demonstrates respect for the academic review system.