Geographic Trends in Publications and Submissions in Radiology Journals: Decade Report (2010 - 2020)

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Medical Publishing
• Geographic Trends in Science

Background:

• The Radiology Research Alliance (RRA) identified a need to analyze geographic shifts in radiology research output.
• Understanding these trends is crucial for assessing the evolving global landscape of radiology research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify geographical changes in submissions and publications within radiology journals between 2010 and 2020.
• To identify specific country and continental contributions to radiology research over a decade.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of submission and publication data from 20 general and subspecialty radiology journals (US and European-based) from 2010-2020.
• Regression models were used to assess temporal changes in publication origins, focusing on the US, China, and Asia.

Main Results:

• A significant global increase in radiology publications from Asia, especially China, was observed (p <0.01).
• US and European journals saw increased publications from Asia and China, while US journals noted a decrease from North America.
• Subspecialty journals also showed increased publications from North America and China. A notable COVID-19-related spike in submissions occurred in 2020, particularly from China.

Conclusions:

• Radiology journal submissions and publications have shown a worldwide increase over the last decade.
• Asia, and particularly China, has emerged as a major contributor to radiology research output.
• These findings highlight a significant geographic shift in the global radiology research landscape.