Bibliometric spotlight on thoracic surgery specialization theses in Turkey

Area of Science:

• Medical Research
• Thoracic Surgery
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• Medical specialty theses are crucial for academic careers in Turkey.
• Evaluating publication and bibliometric parameters of theses is essential for academic progress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the publication and bibliometric characteristics of thoracic surgery theses.
• To analyze trends in thesis publication from 2001 to 2019.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive review of 319 thoracic surgery theses from the National Thesis Center (2001-2019).
• Data collection included author demographics, institution, research method, publication status, citation counts, and journal indexing.
• Bibliometric analysis utilized Google Scholar, Web of Science Basic Search, and Master Journal List.

Main Results:

• A 38.5% publication rate was observed, with 123 theses published in journals (66 SCI/SCI-E indexed).
• Female researchers (18.8%) published significantly earlier (3.3 years) than the mean (4.31 years).
• Experimental/prospective studies showed shorter publication times and higher citations in SCI/SCI-E journals.

Conclusions:

• The publication rate of thoracic surgery theses is 38.5%, with a notable trend towards earlier publication by female researchers.
• Studies published in SCI/SCI-E indexed journals received more citations, and experimental/prospective research was published more rapidly.
• This bibliometric report is the first of its kind for thoracic surgery theses, providing valuable insights into academic productivity.