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Citation classics in main pain research journals
Zhi Li1, Fei-Xiang Wu, Li-Qun Yang
1Department of Anesthesiology Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
This study analyzed the 100 most cited pain research articles published from 1970-2010. These highly cited papers highlight key advances and provide a historical overview of pain research progress.
Area of Science:
- Pain research
- Biomedical science
- Bibliometrics
Background:
- Article citations indicate scientific impact and community recognition.
- Understanding highly cited works in pain research offers insights into the field's evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize the 100 most frequently cited articles in pain research published between 1970 and 2010.
- To analyze publication trends, origins, and key contributors within this influential body of work.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Science Citation Index database to identify articles.
- Analyzed publication years, citation counts, article types, journals, countries, institutions, and authors.
Main Results:
- The top 100 articles, published between 1970-2010, received 302 to 3,017 citations (mean 585).
- These articles appeared in six high-impact journals, predominantly 'Pain' (84 articles).
- Observational studies (39), review articles (25), and basic science (20) were common types, originating mainly from the United States (47 articles).
Conclusions:
- The analysis identifies seminal works that have significantly advanced pain research.
- This bibliometric study provides a historical perspective on the scientific progress and key developments in the field of pain research.
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