A retrospective analysis of JAPMA publication patterns, 1991-2000

A retrospective analysis of 878 articles published in JAPMA from 1991 to 2000 was conducted to investigate changing patterns of publication activity in podiatric medicine. Most of the articles published in JAPMA were case reports (37%), followed by literature reviews (33%) and original research (30%). The Journal has covered a wide range of topic areas, with the most common being foot surgery (14%). A breakdown of the proportion of original research versus review articles and case reports for each topic area revealed that while orthotic therapy and biomechanics attract considerable attention from researchers, other important specialty areas such as foot surgery, dermatology, pediatrics, and rheumatology continue to be represented primarily by literature reviews and case reports. Two significant trends were observed: a gradual increase in the proportion of original research articles and a steady increase in the number of articles by authors outside the United States. These findings provide valuable insight into patterns of publication in podiatric medicine and raise a number of issues regarding the ongoing development of the profession.