Do name characteristics influence citation counts in ophthalmology?

Abstract

This study examined whether name characteristics influence citation counts in ophthalmology. This was done by assessing 5407 papers published between 2015 and 2020 in four ophthalmology journals. Analyses of first and last authors’ names considered factors such as length, consonant sequences, alphabetical order, and popularity. After controlling for the year of publication, the number of authors, and the type of publication, only one association was found to be statistically significant; specifically, that the longer a consonant sequence was in the first-author’s forename the more citations their publication received. Future research could address broader datasets and additional academic outcomes.