Factors Associated with the Citation Status of Papers Published in the Iranian Journal of Radiology (IJR) in the Past Five Years (2018 - 2022)

Abstract

Background: Citation is being increasingly used as a key performance indicator in research policies and evaluation systems. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the citation status of clinical articles published in the Iranian Journal of Radiology (IJR). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted during May-June 2023, employed bibliometric techniques and investigated the IJR website and the Scopus database. The analysis encompassed various characteristics of the published papers, such as citation status, number of authors, sample size, page count, number of references, year of publication, type of paper, scope of the paper's title, study design, number of articles by the first and corresponding authors in Scopus, h-indices of the first and corresponding authors in Scopus, and nationality of the first and corresponding authors. The citation status was considered as the dependent outcome in the analysis, with a significance level set at P < 0.05. Results: From 2018 to 2022, the IJR published 357 papers, with an average citation rate of 33.6% and an impact factor of 0.9. The majority of journals citing the articles (36.03%) were ranked in the second quartile according to the Scopus Cite Score Index. The citation status was found to be significantly influenced by several factors, including the study design, scope of the paper's title, type of article, number of years since publication, number of articles by the first and corresponding authors in Scopus, as well as the h-index of both the first and corresponding authors in Scopus (P < 0.05). The results of multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that only the number of years since publication, type of paper, and scope of the paper's title were significantly associated with the citation status. Conclusion: The present research indicated that the number of years since publication, type of paper, and scope of the paper's title were the most significant factors influencing the citation status of papers in the IJR. These findings provide valuable insights into the citation patterns of articles in the IJR and can help authors and policymakers develop strategies to enhance the visibility and impact of their research.