Infectious diseases citation patterns: mapping the literature 2008-2010

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases Research
• Bibliometrics
• Scientific Literature Analysis

Background:

• Understanding citation patterns is crucial for assessing the impact and evolution of scientific fields.
• The infectious diseases literature relies on a diverse range of sources, necessitating an analysis of citation trends.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the most frequently cited publication types and publication years in infectious diseases literature.
• To determine the most commonly cited journals within the infectious diseases field.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 166,650 citations from 5,056 articles published in infectious diseases journals between 2008-2010.
• Two random samples of citations were drawn to collect data on publication type, date, age of cited item, and URL inclusion.
• Journal titles, publication dates, and ages of cited articles were analyzed using Bradford zones.

Main Results:

• Journal articles constituted the vast majority (91%) of cited items.
• Cited publications spanned from 1933 to 2010, with a mean publication year of 2001 and a mode of 2007.
• Over half of the cited journal articles were published within the preceding five years, indicating a focus on recent research.

Conclusions:

• The infectious diseases literature demonstrates a heavy reliance on journal articles, particularly recent publications.
• The breadth of cited resources, including older and miscellaneous documents, underscores the comprehensive nature of infectious diseases research.
• Analysis of citation patterns provides insights into the depth and breadth of resources essential for studying infectious diseases.