Middle East Research Grows, But Still Dominated by Western Perspectives

This article examines articles on the Middle East in major political science journals over two decades. Analysis of a new dataset reveals an increase in MENA-focused research post-Arab Spring, yet these still represent only a small fraction of publications overall.

Data & Methods

The study surveys all published articles concerning the Middle East region during this period, tracking trends across various dimensions including topic focus and methodology.

Key Findings

• The proportion of MENA-focused articles remains strikingly low despite recent increases after 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. • Research on the region increasingly addresses mainstream political science debates but relies more heavily on statistical/experimental approaches rather than qualitative ones.

Why It Matters

The findings suggest a gap between scholarly priorities and local concerns, potentially reflecting Western-centric perspectives in much of this research.