Standing on the shoulders of Giants: a citation analysis of the paediatric congenital heart disease literature

Cardiol Young. 2021 Dec;31(12):1975-1983. doi: 10.1017/S1047951121001256. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Abstract

Objective: The citation history of a published article reflects its impact on the literature over time. We conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to identify the most cited papers on CHD in children.

Methods: One-hundred and ninety journals listed in Journal Citation Reports were accessed via Web of Science. Publications with 250 or more citations were identified from Science Citation Index Expanded (1900-2020), and those relating to structural CHD in children were reviewed. Articles were ranked by citation count and the 100 most cited were analysed.

Results: The number of citations ranged from 2522 to 309 (median 431, IQR 356-518), with 35 published since 2000. All were written in English, most originated from the United States (74%), and were published in cardiovascular journals, with Circulation (28%) the most frequent. There were 86 original research articles, including 50 case series, 14 cohort studies, and 10 clinical trials. The most cited paper was by Hoffman JI and Kaplan S on the incidence of CHD. Thirteen authors had 4 or more publications in the top 100, all of whom had worked in Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, or Dallas, and the most prolific author was Newburger JW (9 articles).

Conclusions: Citation analysis provides a historical perspective on scientific progress by assessing the impact of individual articles. Our study highlights the dominant position of US-based researchers and journals in this field. Most of the highly cited articles remain case series, with few randomised controlled trials in CHD appearing in recent years.

Keywords: CHD; citations; history.

MeSH terms

  • Bibliometrics*
  • Boston
  • Child
  • Heart Defects, Congenital*
  • Humans
  • Publications