Abstract
Measurement of the impact and influence of medical⁄scientific journals, and of individual researchers has become more widely practiced in recent decades. This is driven, in part, by the increased availability of data regarding citations of research articles, and by increased competition for research funding. Digestive disease research has been identified as a particularly strong discipline in Canada. The authors collected quantitative data on the impact and influence of Canadian digestive health research. The present study involved an analysis of the research impact (Hirsch factor) and research influence (Influence factor) of 106 digestive health researchers in Canada. Rankings of the top 25 researchers on the basis of the two metrics were dominated by the larger research groups at the University of Toronto (Toronto, Ontario), McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario), and the Universities of Calgary (Calgary, Alberta) and Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta), but with representation by other research groups at the Universities of Manitoba (Winnipeg, Manitoba), Western Ontario (London, Ontario) and McGill University (Montreal, Quebec). Female and male researchers had similar scores for the two metrics, as did basic scientists versus clinical investigators. Strategic recruitment, particularly of established investigators, can have a major impact on the ranking of research groups. Comparing these metrics over different time frames can provide insights into the vulnerabilities and strengths of research groups.
Highlights
Measurement of the impact and influence of medical/scientific journals, and of individual researchers has become more widely practiced in recent decades
We explored if there were sex-related differences in impact and influence among Canadian digestive health researchers, and if training as a basic scientist versus a clinical investigator was in any way predictive of success, as measured by the two metrics
Database of researchers and publications Using lists of funded researchers from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology, the Celiac Foundation of Canada, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Liver Foundation, we developed a database of 106 researchers who devote a substantial portion of their research efforts to digestive health and disease, and generally, who are affiliated with digestive health research groups and/or gastroenterology or hepatology divisions
Summary
Measurement of the impact and influence of medical/scientific journals, and of individual researchers has become more widely practiced in recent decades. Research on inflammatory bowel disease in Canada has been ranked first in the world based on overall average impact factor of journals in which IBD-related publications appeared (6). We explored if there were sex-related differences in impact and influence among Canadian digestive health researchers, and if training as a basic scientist versus a clinical investigator was in any way predictive of success, as measured by the two metrics.
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