Ugolini, D; Puntoni, R; Perera, FP; Schulte, PA; Bonassi, S A bibliometric analysis of scientific production in cancer molecular epidemiology CARCINOGENESIS, 28 (8): 1774-1779 AUG 2007

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail Address: donatella.ugolini at istge.it 

Author(s): Ugolini, D (Ugolini, Donatella); Puntoni, R (Puntoni, 
Riccardo); Perera, FP (Perera, Frederica P.); Schulte, PA (Schulte, Paul 
A.); Bonassi, S (Bonassi, Stefano)
 
Title: A bibliometric analysis of scientific production in cancer 
molecular epidemiology 

Source: CARCINOGENESIS, 28 (8): 1774-1779 AUG 2007 

Language: English 

Document Type: Article 

Keywords Plus: EUROPEAN-UNION; IMPACT FACTOR; PUBLICATIONS; COUNTRIES 

Abstract: Objectives: The main purpose of this research was to compare the 
scientific production in the field of cancer molecular epidemiology among 
countries and to evaluate the publication trend between 1995 and 2004. 
Methods: A bibliometric study was carried out searching the PubMed 
database with a combined search strategy based on the keywords listed in 
the medical subject headings and a free text search. Only articles from a 
representative subset of 92 journals-accounting for 80% of papers 
identified-were selected for the analysis, and the resulting 13 240 
abstracts were manually checked according to a list of basic inclusion 
criteria. The study evaluated the number of publications and the impact 
factor (mean and sum), absolute and normalized by country population and 
gross domestic product. Results: A total of 3842 citations were finally 
selected for the analysis. Thirty-seven percent came from the European 
Union (UK, Germany, Italy, France and Sweden ranking at the top), 31.6% 
from USA and 9.7% from Japan. The highest mean impact factor was reported 
for Canada (6.3), USA (5.9), Finland (5.8) and UK (5.2). Finland, Sweden 
and Israel had the best ratio between scientific production and available 
resources. 'Genetic polymorphism, glutathione transferase, breast 
neoplasm, risk factors, case-control studies and polymerase chain 
reaction' were the most used keywords in each of the subgroups evaluated, 
although inclusion criteria may have privileged studies dealing with 
exogenous carcinogens. Conclusion: Cancer molecular epidemiology is an 
expanding area attracting an increasing interest. The identification of an 
operative definition is a necessary condition to give to this discipline a 
unique scientific identity. 

Addresses: Univ Genoa, Dipartimento Oncol Biol & Genet, I-16132 Genoa, 
Italy; Natl Inst Canc Res, Epidemiol Unit, I-16132 Genoa, Italy; Natl Inst 
Canc Res, Biostat Unit, I-16132 Genoa, Italy; Columbia Univ, Mailman Sch 
Publ Hlth, Dept Environm Hlth Sci, New York, NY 10032 USA; NIOSH, Ctr Dis 
Control & Prevent, Cincinnati, OH 45226 USA; Natl Inst Canc Res, Unit Mol 
Epidemiol, I-16132 Genoa, Italy 

Reprint Address: Ugolini, D, Univ Genoa, Dipartimento Oncol Biol & Genet, 
I-16132 Genoa, Italy. 

Cited Reference Count: 24 

Times Cited: 0 

Publisher: OXFORD UNIV PRESS 

Publisher Address: GREAT CLARENDON ST, OXFORD OX2 6DP, ENGLAND 

ISSN: 0143-3334 

29-char Source Abbrev.: CARCINOGENESIS 

ISO Source Abbrev.: Carcinogenesis 

Source Item Page Count: 6 

Subject Category: Oncology 

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