Jankovic, MP; Kaufmann, M; Kindler, CH Active research fields in anesthesia: A document co-citation analysis of the anesthetic literature ANESTHESIA AND ANALGESIA, 106 (5): 1524-1533 MAY 2008

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail Address: christoph.kindler at ksa.ch 

Author(s): Jankovic, MP (Jankovic, Milan P.); Kaufmann, M (Kaufmann, 
Mark); Kindler, CH (Kindler, Christoph H.)
 
Title: Active research fields in anesthesia: A document co-citation 
analysis of the anesthetic literature 

Source: ANESTHESIA AND ANALGESIA, 106 (5): 1524-1533 MAY 2008 

Language: English 

Document Type: Article
 
Keywords Plus: CITATION ANALYSIS; BISPECTRAL INDEX; NEUROPATHIC PAIN; 
SCIENCE; RAT; SCIENTOMETRICS; REMIFENTANIL; INFORMETRICS; NETWORKS; 
PROPOFOL 

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The expansion of science has resulted in an 
increased information flow and in an exponentially growing number of 
connections between knowledge in different research fields. In this study, 
we used methods of scientometric analysis to obtain a conceptual network 
that forms the structure of active scientific research fields in 
anesthesia.

METHODS: We extracted from the Web of Science (R) (Institute for 
Scientific Information) all original articles (n = 3275) including their 
references (n = 79,972) that appeared in 2003 in all 23 journals listed in 
the Institute for Scientific Information journal Citation Reports' under 
the subject heading "Anesthesiology." After identification of highly cited 
references (>= 5), pairs of co-cited references were created and grouped 
into uniformly structured clusters of documents using a single linkage and 
variable level clustering method. In addition, for each such cluster of 
documents, we identified corresponding front papers published in 2003, 
each of which co-cited at least two documents of the cluster core. Active 
anesthetic research fields were then named by examining the titles of the 
documents in both the established clusters and in their corresponding 
front papers. These research fields were sorted according to the 
proportion of recent documents in their cluster core (immediacy index) and 
were further analyzed.

RESULTS: Forty-six current anesthetic research fields were identified. The 
research field named "ProSeal laryngeal mask airway" showed the highest 
immediacy index (100%) whereas the research fields "Experimental models of 
neuropathic pain" and "Volatile anesthetic-induced cardioprotection" 
exhibited the highest level of co-citation strength (level 9). The 
research field with the largest cluster core, containing 12 homogeneous 
papers, was "Postoperative nausea and vomiting." The journal Anesthesia & 
Analgesia published most front papers while Anesthesiology published most 
of the fundamental documents used as references in the front papers.

CONCLUSIONS: Using co-citation analysis, we identified distinct homogenous 
clusters of highly cited documents representing 46 active current 
anesthetic research fields and determined multiple nets of knowledge among 
them. 

Addresses: Univ Basel Hosp, Dept Anesthesia, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland 

Reprint Address: Kindler, CH, Kantonsspital Aarau, Dept Anesthesia & 
Perioperat, CH-5001 Aarau, Switzerland. 

E-mail Address: christoph.kindler at ksa.ch 

Cited Reference Count: 34 

Times Cited: 0 

Publisher: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS 

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

ISSN: 0003-2999 

29-char Source Abbrev.: ANESTH ANALG 

ISO Source Abbrev.: Anesth. Analg.
 
Source Item Page Count: 10 

Subject Category: Anesthesiology 

ISI Document Delivery No.: 291UP 

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