ABS: Gunn, Bibliometric analysis of HRC-supported biomedical publications, 1990-1994

[Gretchen Whitney]

PT J
AU Gunn, AJ

   Univ Auckland, Fac Med & Hlth Sci, Dept Paediat, Private Bag 92019,
Auckland1, New Zealand.

   Twigden, DG
   Scoggins, BA
TI Bibliometric analysis of HRC-supported biomedical publications,
   1990 to 1994
SO NEW ZEALAND MEDICAL JOURNAL
LA English
NR 11
SN 0028-8446
PU SOUTHERN COLOUR PRINT
C1 Univ Auckland, Fac Med & Hlth Sci, Dept Paediat, Private Bag
   92019, Auckland 1, New Zealand.
   Univ Auckland, Fac Med & Hlth Sci, Dept Paediat, Auckland 1, New
Zealand.
   Hlth Res Council New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand.
ID IMPACT; PERIOD
AB Aim. To document changes in the rate and impact of publications
   resulting from Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC)
   biomedical grants since its inception and to relate the number
   of publications to Health Priority Areas, fields of research
   and specific types of grant. Methods. All original papers or
   reviews and editorials published by HRC-supported investigators
   in peer-refereed journals, from 1990 to 1994, were entered into
   a bibliographic database.
Results. In this five-year period,
   researchers receiving HRC biomedical grants published a total
   of 2094 articles in 623 peer-reviewed journals, of which 1190
   (57%) derived from HRC support. Of the publications, 90.2% were
   original papers; the remainder were reviews or editorials. From
   1990 to 1994, there was an increase in the number of HRC-
   supported publications (p<0.04) but not of those deriving from
   other support. There was no change in the quality of
   publications over this period, as reflected by the impact
   factor (a measure of the number of times that publications in a
journal are cited). The majority (62.6%) of publications
   derived from project grants, however, the average cost per
   publication was 8.4% higher for project than for programme
   (multi-investigator) grants. Finally, nearly 40% of HRC
   publications directly addressed designated health priority
   areas.

Conclusions. The present study has examined one aspect
   of the value for money obtained from the public investment in
   biomedical research. As the HRC is the major provider of
   contestable biomedical research funding in New Zealand,
   bibliometric analysis may be of ongoing value to monitor the
   effects of changes to the organisation of biomedical research
   funding in New Zealand.
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TC 0
BP 351
EP 354
PG 4
JI N. Z. Med. J.
PY 1999
PD SEP 24
VL 112
IS 1096
GA 283XV
PI DUNEDIN

J9 N Z MED J
PA PO BOX 920, DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND
UT ISI:000085302100002

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