Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Comparing Bibliometric Analysis Using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science Databases
Published on: October 24, 2019
Bibliometric analysis of Human Factors (1970-2000): a quantitative description of scientific impact
John D Dee1, Andrea Cassano-Pinché, Kim J Vicente
1Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Iowa, 2130 Seamans Center, Iowa City, IA 52245, USA. jdlee@engineering.uiowa.edu
Abstract:
Bibliometric analyses use the citation history of scientific articles as data to measure scientific impact. This paper describes a bibliometric analysis of the 1682 papers and 2413 authors published in Human Factors from 1970 to 2000. The results show that Human Factors has substantial relative scientific influence, as measured by impact, immediacy, and half-life, exceeding the influence of comparable journals. Like other scientific disciplines, human factors research is a highly stratified activity. Most authors have published only one paper, and many papers are cited infrequently, if ever. A small number of authors account for a disproportionately large number of the papers published and citations received. However, the degree of stratification is not as extreme as in many other disciplines, possibly reflecting the diversity of the human factors discipline. A consistent trend of more authors per paper parallels a similar trend in other fields and may reflect the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of human factors research and a trend toward addressing human-technology interaction in more complex systems. Ten of the most influential papers from each of the last 3 decades illustrate trends in human factors research. Actual or potential applications of this research include considerations for the publication and distribution policy of Human Factors.
Related Concept Videos
Humanistic Psychology
This approach...
Impact of Individuals on Individuals
Epistasis Analysis
Impact of Individuals on a Group
Statistical Methods for Analyzing Epidemiological Data
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...