Loonen, MPJ; Hage, JJ (Hage, J. Joris); Kon, M (Kon, Moshe) Value of citation numbers and impact factors for analysis of plastic surgery research PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY, 120 (7): 2082-2091 DEC 2007

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail Address: jjorishage at inter.nl.net 

Author(s): Loonen, MPJ (Loonen, Martijn P. J.); Hage, JJ (Hage, J. Joris); 
Kon, M (Kon, Moshe) 

Title: Value of citation numbers and impact factors for analysis of 
plastic surgery research 

Source: PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY, 120 (7): 2082-2091 DEC 2007 

Language: English 

Document Type: Article 

Keywords Plus: RECONSTRUCTIVE-SURGERY; JOURNALS; SCIENCE; REGENERATION; 
CLASSICS; TRAUMA; FLAP 

Abstract: Background: Citations of articles reflect their scientific 
relevance. The Institute for Scientific Information's impact factor 
measures the average number of citations to articles in a journal. 
Consequently, less-cited articles are credited for the impact that a few 
frequently cited articles had. Furthermore, the impact factor is only in 
regard to the citations received in the first 2 years after publication, 
whereas most articles may be cited only after that period. The authors 
tested the relevance of the impact factor as a measure of the scientific 
value of articles.

Methods: The authors identified the 10 most-cited articles of four leading 
journals and calculated the pattern of their citations over the years. On 
the basis of the most significant change of regression coefficient in this 
pattern, they established the critical citable period and the number of 
citations received in the first 2 years as a fraction of the number of 
citations received during this period.
Results: The citation distribution was skewed. The critical citable period 
was 16 years, in which articles gathered 61.3 percent of their total 
number of citations (range, 52.3 to 74.3 percent). The number of citations 
obtained in the first 2 years correlated well with the number of citations 
received in the critical citable period (Spearman rho = 0.60, p < 0.001), 
but only 2.5 percent of the latter number was gathered during the first 2 
years (range, 1.2 to 4.0 percent).

Conclusion: The impact factor is not an adequate indicator for the 
scientific relevance or impact of the individual articles the authors 
studied. 

Addresses: Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek Hosp, Netherlands Canc Inst, Dept Plast 
& Reconstruct Surg, NL-1066 CX Amsterdam, Netherlands; Univ Med Ctr 
Utrecht, Dept Plast & Reconstruct Surg, Utrecht, Netherlands 

Reprint Address: Hage, JJ, Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek Hosp, Netherlands Canc 
Inst, Dept Plast & Reconstruct Surg, Plesmanlaan 121, NL-1066 CX 
Amsterdam, Netherlands. 

E-mail Address: jjorishage at inter.nl.net 

Cited Reference Count: 32 

Times Cited: 0 

Publisher: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS 

Publisher Address: 530 WALNUT ST, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106-3621 USA 

ISSN: 0032-1052 

29-char Source Abbrev.: PLAST RECONSTR SURG 

ISO Source Abbrev.: Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 

Source Item Page Count: 10 

Subject Category: Surgery 

ISI Document Delivery No.: 241PN 

*I SCI INF
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