Abstract
ObjectiveThe present study seeks to extend previous bibliometric studies on eating disorders (EDs) by including a time-dependent analysis of the growth and evolution of multi-author collaborations and their correlation with ED publication trends from 1980 to 2014 (35 years).MethodsUsing standardized practices, we searched Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection (WoSCC) (indexes: Science Citation Index-Expanded [SCIE], & Social Science Citation Index [SSCI]) and Scopus (areas: Health Sciences, Life Sciences, & Social Sciences and Humanities) to identify a large sample of articles related to EDs. We then submitted our sample of articles to bibliometric and graph theory analyses to identify co-authorship and social network patterns.ResultsWe present a large number of detailed findings, including a clear pattern of scientific growth measured as number of publications per five-year period or quinquennium (Q), a tremendous increase in the number of authors attracted by the ED subject, and a very high and steady growth in collaborative work.ConclusionsWe inferred that the noted publication growth was likely driven by the noted increase in the number of new authors per Q. Social network analyses suggested that collaborations within ED follow patters of interaction that are similar to well established and recognized disciplines, as indicated by the presence of a “giant cluster”, high cluster density, and the replication of the “small world” phenomenon—the principle that we are all linked by short chains of acquaintances.
Highlights
Eating disorders (EDs) are mental disorders with severe consequences [1,2,3]
We present a large number of detailed findings, including a clear pattern of scientific growth measured as number of publications per five-year period or quinquennium (Q), a tremendous increase in the number of authors attracted by the ED subject, and a very high and steady growth in collaborative work
Social network analyses suggested that collaborations within
Summary
Eating disorders (EDs) are mental disorders with severe consequences [1,2,3]. The better known and possibly the most widely studied of the EDs are anorexia and bulimia nervosa, both of which were included in the DSM-III in 1980 [4,5]. Binge eating disorder (BED) was first covered in the DSM-IV in 1994 under the larger rubric of eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) [6,7]. Theander [9] used Medline and PsycINFO to study publication patterns related to EDs from 1960 to 1999 and found an almost 27-fold increase in the number of ED references over the 40-year period (which substantively outpaced the average 4-fold growth observed over the same period of time across all medical fields). A recent bibliometric study on EDs, Soh and Walter [11] found substantive growth trends in Medline and PsycINFO from 1970 to 2011 ( these authors focused just on publications related to the cross-cultural aspects of EDs)
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