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Comparing Bibliometric Analysis Using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science Databases
Published on: October 24, 2019
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Nationwide Bibliometric Analysis of Integrated Plastic Surgery Program Directors
Michelle Y Seu1, Shooka Esmaeeli2, Aaron L Wiegmann1
1Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Ill.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Global Open
|January 26, 2023
Summary
Plastic surgery residency program directors with higher bibliometric indices, such as h-index and publication counts, are associated with higher program reputation and research output rankings. These findings highlight the importance of scholarly activity in program leadership.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Plastic Surgery
- Bibliometrics
Background:
- Bibliometric indices correlate with academic achievement in plastic surgeons.
- The relationship between bibliometric indices and plastic surgery residency program directors (PDs) is unexplored.
- PDs' academic performance impacts residency program success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify distinguishing characteristics of integrated plastic surgery programs.
- To focus on the bibliometric indices of plastic surgery residency program directors.
Main Methods:
- Eighty-four plastic surgery programs were identified and categorized into quartiles based on 2021 Doximity reputation and research output rankings.
- Data on PDs' academic history and bibliometric indices (h-index, publications, citations) were collected from Doximity, program websites, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and professional society databases.
- Statistical analyses were performed to determine the relationship between bibliometric indices and program rankings, adjusting for years of experience post-training.
Main Results:
- A significant positive relationship exists between PDs' h-index, publication count, and program reputation ranking (P < 0.05).
- Higher h-index (OR=1.24) and publication counts (OR=1.05) were significantly associated with higher reputation rankings, even after adjusting for experience.
- PD research fellowship completion was significantly linked to research output ranking (P < 0.01), with h-index (OR=1.05) and publication counts (OR=1.01) also associated with research output after adjustments.
Conclusions:
- Plastic surgery programs with higher rankings generally have PDs with strong scholarly activity records.
- Bibliometric indices serve as indicators of a PD's academic productivity and may correlate with program quality.
- These findings underscore the significance of bibliometric data in evaluating the academic standing of residency program leadership.
