Bibliometric Research in Neurosurgery: A Review of the 50 Most Cited Bibliometric Publications in the Neurosurgical Literature

Abstract

Bibliometry is a popular research method that is used to explore and analyze large volumes of data in an effort to highlight trends, patterns, and impacts within a specific field. This review aimed at highlighting the characteristics and citation patterns of the high-impact bibliometric research studies that were published in the neurosurgical literature. Using PubMed and Google Scholar, the 50 (52 due to identical citation numbers for the lowest three articles) most cited bibliometric research publications were identified and reviewed. Information relating to the articles’ publication and bibliometric features were retrieved. The articles’ citation numbers were collected. The median article age and journal impact factor (IF) were eight years and 2.76, respectively. The majority of studies were published in World Neurosurgery and the Journal of Neurosurgery, which were the publishing journals for 18 (35%) and 12 (23%) articles, respectively. Twenty-six (50%) articles were first authored by researchers from the United States of America (USA). The highest bibliometric component was science mapping, which was the theme in 30 (58%) articles. The majority of the bibliometric focus was clinical topics/fields (22 (42%) articles) and neurosurgeons/departments (21 (40%) articles). The most popular bibliometric metric was the h-index (±variants), which was employed in 22 (42%) articles. The median size of analyzed data was 188, and the most frequently utilized databases were Scopus (22 (42%) articles) and Web of Science (21 (40%) articles). The median (range) citation numbers were 52 (29-238). The citation analysis showed significantly higher citation numbers for older articles (aged ≥ 8 years) and studies published in the Journal of Neurosurgery. The citation rates were not influenced by the size of the data, the searched databases, or the bibliometric features. In conclusion, the most cited bibliometric research publications in the neurosurgical literature were predominantly descriptive analyses of clinical topics/fields and performance analyses of neurosurgeons/departments. Their citation numbers were relatively modest and were positively influenced by the publication’s age and by a specific publishing journal but not by the bibliometric features of the study. Bibliometric research provides useful analytic tools that can be utilized in review studies and other practical purposes such as scholarly practices and policy decision-making.