GLP-1 and Body Weight: A Scientometric Analysis About How to Select the Best Articles Containing Pharmacological Treatment Methods

Abstract

Background: Medications initially intended for diabetes treatment are now being used by other patients for weight loss. In the specialized literature, there are numerous meta-analyses investigating this aspect. Areas of Uncertainty: The authors aimed to explore whether the application of scientometric methods for literature review within meta-analyses could provide clear answers to specific research questions. This approach could help develop a rapid system for selecting articles to read during the information process for clinicians or researchers. Data Sources: We obtained research data from Web of Science Core Collection, using the search phrase “GLP-1 AND Body Weight,” reviews from the past 5 years. This approach led to the identification of 31 relevant articles in the field. Results: A total of 31 reviews were identified in the WOS database and investigated using the VOSviewer bibliographic coupling method. Among these, 7 reviews were found to have the highest influence. The authors analyzed these articles and determined that only these 7 reviews directly address the research question. In addition, an analysis of the impact factor of the journals where the articles are published, the influence power of these articles, and the countries of origin of the authors was conducted. A strong correlation was demonstrated between the impact factor and the total link strength for these 7 reviews. The correlation coefficient of 0.116709 between journal impact factor and number of citations suggests a very weak or nonexistent relationship. A strong positive correlation of 0.879736 exists between journal impact factor and total link strength, indicating a significant association. The correlation coefficient of −0.12505 between citations and total link strength shows a very weak or negligible relationship. Conclusions: Scientometric methods such as VOSviewer are useful in the work of both researchers and clinicians, highlighting the fact that articles in a research field can be identified by several criteria: impact factor, number of citations, authors from research teams that addressed this topic. The weak correlation between journal impact factor and number of citations implies that the prestige of the journal does not significantly affect the citation count of articles. Researchers should focus on the quality and relevance of their work rather than solely targeting high-impact journals. However, the strong positive correlation between impact factor and total link strength suggests that articles in prestigious journals are more likely to share content similarities. Researchers should consider this when selecting journals for publication and aim to contribute to impactful and interconnected research areas. This approach allows quick and easy identification of key articles, serving as a fundamental basis for rapid analysis of research in the field, starting from the analysis of authors' competence, degree of trust of the journal, or degree of interest that researchers have for that article.