[Dental research in the Netherlands: Ph.D theses 1956-1994]

Area of Science:

• Dental Research
• Bibliometrics
• Scientific Output Analysis

Background:

• The Netherlands has experienced a significant decline in the number of Dental Schools since the 1980s.
• Dental research in the Netherlands has historically produced a substantial number of PhD-theses.
• The language of scientific dissemination has shifted towards English in academic research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in PhD-theses by Dutch scientists over the past four decades.
• To assess the characteristics and international impact of Dutch dental research.
• To investigate the influence of declining Dental School numbers on research output.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of PhD-theses produced by Dutch scientists.
• Tracking publication trends, language of theses, and author disciplines over time.
• Evaluating international citation impact of Dutch dental research.

Main Results:

• A continuous increase in the number of PhD-theses over the last four decades, averaging around 20 per year in the early nineties.
• A significant proportion (23%) of dental theses are authored by scientists from non-dental disciplines.
• The majority (80%) of recent theses are written in English, indicating international alignment.
• The decline in Dental Schools has had minimal impact on the overall number of PhD-theses.
• An increasing international impact of Dutch dental research, evidenced by a declining rate of uncited publications.

Conclusions:

• Dutch dental research output has consistently grown, with a notable increase in English-language publications.
• The research landscape includes a diverse range of disciplines contributing to dental science.
• Despite structural changes in dental education, the volume and international impact of Dutch dental research are on an upward trajectory.