Biomedical informatics publications: a global perspective. Part II: Journals

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Informatics (BMI)
• Medical Informatics (MI)
• Bioinformatics (BI)

Background:

• Biomedical Informatics (BMI) is an interdisciplinary field merging Medical Informatics (MI) and Bioinformatics (BI).
• Analyzing BMI publications is crucial for understanding global research contributions and informing future practice.
• Previous work examined BMI conferences; this study focuses on journals for a broader perspective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the geographic distribution of authors in leading BMI journals.
• To compare journal publication patterns with conference findings.
• To identify trends in BMI research contributions.

Main Methods:

• Manual data collection of author geographical origins from key MI journals (IJMI, JBI, MIM, JAMIA).
• Comparison of journal data with findings from the journal Bioinformatics.
• Focus on first authors to determine publication trends.

Main Results:

• Local and regional authors demonstrate a preference for publishing in their respective MI journals.
• Publication patterns in journals align with those observed in BMI conferences.
• The open-source nature of data and tools supports observed author geographic preferences.

Conclusions:

• Geographic patterns in BMI publications are consistent across conferences and journals.
• Further analysis can yield deeper insights into BMI research and professional development.
• Understanding these trends can guide future research and practice in the field.