Medline-based bibliometric analysis of gastroenterology journals between 2001 and 2007

To analyze the MEDLINE-indexed publications in gastroenterology specialty journals from 2001 to 2007. Special attention was paid to specific types of articles, the number of publications for individual authors and the author count in each journal.

The bibliographic entries of papers belonging to journals listed under the subject heading of "gastroenterology" were downloaded from MEDLINE on the PubMed web site. The analysis was limited to journal articles published between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2007. The analytical dimensions of an article included journal, publication year, publication type, and author name (the last name and initials).

According to MEDLINE, 81 561 articles were published in 91 gastroenterology journals from 2001 to 2007. The number of articles increased from 9447 in 2001 to 13 340 in 2007. Only 12 journals had more than 2000 articles indexed in MEDLINE. The "World Journal of Gastroenterology" had the largest number of publications (5684 articles), followed by "Hepato-Gastroenterology" (3036) and "Gastrointestinal Endoscopy" (3005). Of all the articles published, reviews accounted for 17.2% and case reports for 15.4%. Only 3739 randomized controlled trials (4.6% of all articles) were published and their annual number increased from 442 in 2001 to 572 in 2007. Among 141 741 author names appearing in the articles of gastroenterology journals, 92 429 had published only in one journal, 22 585 in two journals, 9996 in three journals, and 16 731 in more than three journals. The "World Journal of Gastroenterology" had the greatest number of authors (17 838), followed by "Gastroenterology" (12 770), "Digestive Diseases and Sciences" (11 395), "American Journal of Gastroenterology" (10 889), and "Hepatology" (10 588).

Global gastroenterology publications displayed a continuous growth in the new millennium. The change was most striking in certain journals. Regular bibliometric analyses on the trends and specific topics would help researchers publish more efficiently and allow editors to adjust the policy more accurately.