Trends in the ophthalmic literature, 1949-1989

Trends in the ophthalmic literature were analyzed through five decades of the Archives. Original articles from 1949, 1959, 1969, 1979, and 1989 were reviewed. The mean number of authors per article increased steadily from 1.24 in 1949 to 3.50 in 1989. The mean number of institutions per article increased from 1.04 in 1949 to 1.30 in 1989. The mean number of authors with a doctor of philosophy degree increased from 0.03 per article in 1949 to 0.41 in 1989. Financial support increased from 13.5% of manuscripts in 1949 to 62.6% in 1989. These findings emphasize the growing trend in the ophthalmic literature toward multiple authors, multiple institutions, collaboration with basic scientists, and increased reliance on grant support.