Bibliometric/scientometric investigation of African Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences between 2001-2010.

Abstract

Background: Bibliometric or Scientometric appraisal of a research publication outfit of this nature serves as a tool to evaluate the direction of research activities of the scholars who published in African Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences between 2001 and 2010, and to determine the research impacts on the body of knowledge.

Objective: The essence of this research is to determine the quantum volume of research output, patterns of research collaboration by authorship, citations/regional and subjects distributions.

Methods: Information/data was transcribed on the cataloguing cards for the generation of data bank. Subject analysis was carried out using Medical Subject Headings of 2010 edition. Medical Tree Structure was consulted to know the broad spectrum down to the specifics of each concept, and Bradford's Mathematical tool was used to analyze the data.

Results: Six hundred and sixty three research articles were published within the period of study. The highest 85 (12.9%) number of articles was published in 2001, followed by 2003 with 82 articles (12.4%) and the least published year was 2010 with 45. A total of 13,859 references were cited. Three authorship collaboration was the highest and Oyo State recorded maximum number of publications in terms of geographical distribution.

Conclusion: AJMMS has contributed significantly to the body of knowledge with a total of 663 research output, 13,859 citations and high degree of research collaboration recorded over a ten year period. However, there was a gradual decline in research output during the period.