Using Google Maps to Show the Pattern of International Co-Author Collaboration in Pharmaceutics

Abstract

Objective: To understand international co-author collaboration in pharmaceutics and to visualize results by Google maps and social network analysis (SNA). Methods: Selecting 311 abstracts from the Medline based on keyword pharmaceutics [journal], we reported following features of pharmaceutics: (1) nation distribution across continents; (2) main keywords frequently displayed in papers; (3) the eminent author in pharmaceutics. We programmed Microsoft Excel VBA for extracting data from Medline. Google Maps and SNA Pajek software show graphical representations of pharmaceutics. Results: We found that (1) the most number of papers in nations are from U.S.(81, 16.05%) and Japan(34, 10.93%); (2) the most linked keywords are Pharmacokinetics and drug delivery; (3) the eminent authors are Muhammad Sohail Arshad(UK) and Takeshi Yokoo(Japan). Conclusion: Social network analysis provides wide and deep insight into relationships of entities we interested. The results drawn from Google maps can provide more information to future studies in academics.