Analysis of publication output of internal medicine faculty members

The number of publications per year produced by a department of internal medicine faculty is analyzed. The output of the younger faculty members (40 years or less) averaged 1.4 publications a year, and the annual output of the older faculty (over 40 years) averaged 2.3 publications (p less than 0.05). The site of their primary clinical responsibilities did not significantly affect their publication productivity. In all subspecialty sections, the output of older faculty members correlated well with that of younger faculty members (p less than 0.005). The productivity of section chiefs correlated well with the productivity of younger faculty members in their respective sections (p less than 0.001). Younger faculty members who later entered private practice had a lower (p less than 0.02) publication output than those who left for another academic position. The output of faculty members is related to the age of the faculty members, overall sectional productivity, and productivity of the section chief.