Trends in surgical oncology research in Australia during the period 1998-2009--a bibliometric review

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the distribution and scope of surgical research in Australia relating to malignant diseases in the field of surgery.

Method: Surgical publications relating to adult malignant diseases originating from Australia were identified from a systematic literature examination using PubMed during a 12-year period between 1998 and 2009. The origin of the article, journal impact factor (IF), type of research and its subspecialty discipline were recorded.

Results: Over a 12-year period, 1,132 papers were published in various journals at a median annual rate of 98 papers. Four hundred eighty-five (43%) papers arose from institutions in New South Wales, 225 (20%) papers from Victoria, 150 (13%) papers from South Australia, 106 (9%) papers from Western Australia, and 77 (7%) papers from Queensland. The mean IF was 3.22 (SD = 2.5). Papers were most commonly published in journals including the ANZ Journal of Surgery (n = 237, 21%), Annals of Surgical Oncology (n = 50, 4%), British Journal of Surgery (n = 38, 3%), and Diseases of the Colon and Rectum (n = 36, 3%). The mean IF of papers published per year ranged from 2.55 to 3.87. The most number of papers were published in the fields of urological oncology (n = 103, 9%), hepatopancreaticobiliary oncology (n = 144, 13%), breast oncology (n = 174, 15%), and colorectal oncology (n = 222, 20%).

Conclusion: Bibliometric findings of this review suggest that there is a growth in high scientific research publications in the field of surgical oncology in Australia, indicating an interest in this discipline. This research trend may impact on the national research strategy for clinical cancer control.