Ophthalmology and vision science research - Part 1-5" Journal of Refractive Surgery

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail Addresses: c.mcghee at auckland.ac.nz
 t.sherwin at auckland.ac.nzt


Title: Ophthalmology and vision science research - Part 1: Understanding
and using journal impact factors and citation indices

Author(s): Cartwright VA, McGhee CNJ

Source: JOURNAL OF CATARACT AND REFRACTIVE SURGERY 31 (10): 1999-2007 OCT
2005

Document Type: Article
Language: English
Cited References: 46      Times Cited: 4

Abstract: In an increasingly "publish or perish" clinical and academic
environment, all clinicians and clinician-scientists involved in research
must have a firm understanding of the measures commonly used to assess the
quality of scientific journals and, by default, those extended to grade
individual articles and authors. The publication of research is a vital
part of clinical and experimental research, and citation analyses of
research publications have increasingly been adopted as a means of
assessing the apparent quality of journals and the research published
therein. In the first of a series of articles for those embarking on
ophthalmic and vision science research, this paper discusses the key
features of citation analysis, concentrating on the 2004 Journal Citation
Report figures for the field of ophthalmology that include 42
ophthalmology, vision science, physiological optics, and optometry
journals. The Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) calculates a
number of parameters including citation counts, Journal Impact Factor
(JIF), Immediacy Index, and cited/citing half-life. This article discusses
the methods of calculation and possible uses along with current
controversies and potential abuses. The JIF and its relevance, potential
bias, and limitations are discussed in depth as it has become the most
widely used analysis of journal quality. The possible alternatives to ISI
citation analysis are presented, and we conclude that citation analysis can
be considered a reasonable measure of journal research quality only if used
correctly.

Addresses: McGhee CNJ (reprint author), Univ Auckland, Dept Ophthalmol,
Chair Ophthalmol, Fac Med & Hlth Sci, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1 New
Zealand
Univ Auckland, Dept Ophthalmol, Chair Ophthalmol, Fac Med & Hlth Sci,
Auckland, 1 New Zealand

E-mail Addresses: c.mcghee at auckland.ac.nz
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, 360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-
1710 USA
Subject Category: OPHTHALMOLOGY; SURGERY
IDS Number: 996PK

ISSN: 0886-3350

---------------------------------------



Title: Ophthalmology and vision science research - Part 2: How to commence
research - Eureka or that's a little unusual?

Author(s): McGhee CNJ, Gilhotra AK

Source: JOURNAL OF CATARACT AND REFRACTIVE SURGERY 31 (11): 2205-2211 NOV
2005

Document Type: Article
Language: English
Cited References: 23      Times Cited: 2

Abstract: Understanding the key elements that increase the likelihood of
project success is fundamental for those embarking on research. The first
article in this series placed scientific journals in perspective in
relation to Journal Impact Factors and citation indices. This second
article in a series primarily aimed at those commencing research,
particularly in the area of ophthalmology and vision science, delineates
the interrelated components that are required to complete a research
project. Successful research projects seldom emerge from serendipitous
observation, and most evolve through a combination of inspiration, careful
planning, and a great deal of industry. Beginning researchers must first be
clear about their reason(s) for pursuing research and should identify
potential mentors and collaborators at the outset. This article discusses
methods of identifying suitable projects and mentors. Ten component areas
necessary to complete a research project are addressed, with reference to
relevant published literature, under the following topic areas: mentors and
collaborators; finding a research topic; confirming suitability of the
topic; defining the research question; developing the hypothesis; key
considerations in study design; threats to study validity; study sample
size; benefits and limitations of clinical science; completing to
publication. This guide is intended to be applicable to all embarking on
research, but particularly to those with an interest in the visual system.
The final 3 articles in this series will deal with writing a research paper
to publication standard, working successfully with the journal review
process, and refining electronic literature searches.

Addresses: McGhee CNJ (reprint author), Univ Auckland, Dept Ophthalmol, Fac
Med & Hlth Sci, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1 New Zealand
Univ Auckland, Dept Ophthalmol, Fac Med & Hlth Sci, Auckland, 1 New Zealand

E-mail Addresses: c.mcghee at auckland.ac.nz
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, 360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-
1710 USA
Subject Category: OPHTHALMOLOGY; SURGERY
IDS Number: 004XU

ISSN: 0886-3350
  ------------------------------


 Title: Ophthalmology and vision science research - Part 3: Avoiding
writer's block - Understanding the ABCs of a good research paper

Author(s): McGhee CNJ, Gilhotra AK

Source: JOURNAL OF CATARACT AND REFRACTIVE SURGERY 31 (12): 2413-2419 DEC
2005

Document Type: Article
Language: English
Cited References: 21      Times Cited: 1

Abstract: Completion of a scientific manuscript for submission to a peer-
reviewed journal is a daunting task for clinicians and scientists early in
their careers. In an ongoing series, this third article is the first of 2
related articles that deal with the basics of producing a high-quality
research manuscript. Although ophthalmology and vision science are the
principal focus of this series, the general concepts essential to producing
a quality manuscript are applicable to diverse fields of research. This
article highlights the exponential growth in the scientific literature over
the past 40 years, considers why it is important to publish completed
research, and discusses the necessity of identifying the key messages of
the research, and their context, in relation to the published literature.
The ethics of publishing biomedical research and scientific misconduct,
such as duplicate publication or plagiarism, are outlined. To avoid later
conflict, there is a critical need for coworkers to carefully address
authorship order and inclusion early in the manuscript process.
Internationally agreed guidelines are identified to guide this process. The
importance of choosing the correct journal for a specific article and the
nature of basic citation indices are discussed. The article concludes by
elaborating and contrasting different scientific writing styles and
emphasizing the considerable importance of developing a representative
title and applying clarity and appropriate structure to the abstract.


Addresses: McGhee CNJ (reprint author), Univ Auckland, Dept Ophthalmol, Fac
Med & Hlth Sci, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
Univ Auckland, Dept Ophthalmol, Fac Med & Hlth Sci, Auckland, New Zealand

E-mail Addresses: c.mcghee at auckland.ac.nz
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, 360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-
1710 USA
Subject Category: OPHTHALMOLOGY; SURGERY
IDS Number: 015XS

ISSN: 0886-3350
---------------------------------

Title: Ophthalmology and vision science research Part 4: Avoiding
rejection - structuring a research paper from introduction to references

Author(s): Gilhotra AK, McGhee CNJ

Source: JOURNAL OF CATARACT AND REFRACTIVE SURGERY 32 (1): 151-157 JAN 2006

Document Type: Article
Language: English
Cited References: 16      Times Cited: 0

Abstract: As part of an ongoing series, this fourth article is the second
of 2 related articles that deal with the basics of producing a high-quality
manuscript. Although ophthalmology and vision science are the principal
focus of this series, the general concepts essential to producing a quality
manuscript are applicable to diverse fields of research. This article
provides guidelines on how to present research findings in a structured
form using the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRaD)
style. The components to be included, and equally important excluded, from
each section are elucidated in detail. Commonly omitted or inaccurately or
incompletely presented components of the manuscript, such as statistical
analysis and references, are highlighted. The necessity to carefully refine
manuscripts before submission is discussed. This article concludes by
illustrating methods of appropriately dealing with referees' comments and
resubmitting manuscripts. Although researchers may have to deal with
rejection as part of the process, we hope that this series provides an easy-
to-follow structure to maximize manuscript quality and improve the prospect
of scientific publication.

Addresses: McGhee CNJ (reprint author), Univ Auckland, Dept Ophthalmol, Fac
Med & Hlth Sci, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1 New Zealand
Univ Auckland, Dept Ophthalmol, Fac Med & Hlth Sci, Auckland, 1 New Zealand

E-mail Addresses: c.mcghee at auckland.ac.nz
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, 360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-
1710 USA
Subject Category: OPHTHALMOLOGY; SURGERY
IDS Number: 024MO

ISSN: 0886-3350

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Title: Ophthalmology and vision science research Part 5: Surfing or
sieving - using literature databases wisely

Author(s): Sherwin T, Gilhotra AK

Source: JOURNAL OF CATARACT AND REFRACTIVE SURGERY 32 (2): 334-340 FEB 2006

Document Type: Article
Language: English
Cited References: 5      Times Cited: 0

Abstract: Literature databases are an ever-expanding resource available to
the field of medical sciences. Understanding how to use such databases
efficiently is critical for those involved in research. However, for the
uninitiated, getting started is a major hurdle to overcome and for the
occasional user, the finer points of database searching remain an
unacquired skill. In the fifth and final article in this series aimed at
those embarking on ophthalmology and vision science research, we look at
how the beginning researcher can start to use literature databases and, by
using a stepwise approach, how they can optimize their use. This
instructional paper gives a hypothetical example of a researcher writing a
review article and how he or she acquires the necessary scientific
literature for the article. A prototype search of the Medline database is
used to illustrate how even a novice might swiftly acquire the skills
required for a medium-level search. It provides examples and key tips that
can increase the proficiency of the occasional user. Pitfalls of database
searching are discussed, as are the limitations of which the user should be
aware.

Addresses: Sherwin T (reprint author), Univ Auckland, Dept Ophthalmol, Fac
Med & Hlth Sci, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1 New Zealand
Univ Auckland, Dept Ophthalmol, Fac Med & Hlth Sci, Auckland, 1 New Zealand

E-mail Addresses: t.sherwin at auckland.ac.nzt
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, 360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-
1710 USA
Subject Category: OPHTHALMOLOGY; SURGERY
IDS Number: 029NX

ISSN: 0886-3350