Prehospital Emergency Care Research in Africa: A Bibliometric Analysis Protocol

This study aims to systematically map and evaluate the scientific literature on Prehospital Emergency Care (PEC) in Africa using bibliometric analysis. Despite the critical role of PEC as the first point of contact in emergency care and its importance in improving health outcomes, the scope and impact of related research across the continent remain poorly understood. This project will provide a comprehensive overview of the metadata and trends within African PEC literature. A quantitative, retrospective analysis will be conducted on literature published between January 2000 and December 2025. A comprehensive search will be performed from 1 May 2026 across multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost (Africa-Wide and CINAHL), and African Online Journals. Retrieved records will be deduplicated, and two independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts for eligibility, followed by data harmonisation and cleaning. Bibliometric analysis will be conducted using Biblioshiny, with network visualisation performed using VOSviewer. The study will include descriptive (quantity) and performance (basic characteristics and trends) analyses. Science mapping will further explore the conceptual, intellectual, and social structures of PEC research in Africa. Findings will be integrated through interpretive synthesis to identify knowledge gaps and inform future research priorities. The results will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentations at relevant scientific forums, with a focus on platforms that enhance accessibility and relevance to African emergency care systems.