Respiratory Syncytial Virus: a Systematic Scientometric Analysis of the Global Publication Output and the Gender Distribution of Publishing Authors
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Open Access Research BMJ Open: first published as 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013615 on 26 July 2017. Downloaded from Respiratory syncytial virus: a systematic scientometric analysis of the global publication output and the gender distribution of publishing authors Dörthe Brüggmann,1,2 Corinna Köster,2 Doris Klingelhöfer,2 Jan Bauer,2 Daniela Ohlendorf,2 Matthias Bundschuh,2 David A Groneberg2 To cite: Brüggmann D, Köster C, ABSTRACT Strengths and limitations of this study Klingelhöfer D, et al. Respiratory Objective Worldwide, the respiratory syncytial virus syncytial virus: a systematic (RSV) represents the predominant viral agent causing ► This is the first concise depiction of the worldwide scientometric analysis of the bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children. To conduct global publication output and scientific productivity related to respiratory syncytial research and tackle existing healthcare disparities, RSV- the gender distribution of virus, which was assessed by geographical, related research activities around the globe need to be publishing authors. BMJ Open chronological and socioeconomic criteria. described. Hence, we assessed the associated scientific 2017;7:e013615. doi:10.1136/ ► The NewQIS (New Quality and Quantity Indices in output (represented by research articles) by geographical, bmjopen-2016-013615 Science) platform combines scientometric methods chronological and socioeconomic criteria and analysed the and ‘density equalizing mapping projections’ Received 25 July 2016 authors publishing in the field by gender. Also, the 15 most to evaluate the scientific output regarding Revised 1 March 2017 cited articles and the most prolific journals were identified quantitative and qualitative aspects, geographical Accepted 8 March 2017 for RSV research. and chronological developments, existing research Design Retrospective, descriptive study. networks and socioeconomic benchmarks in a Setting The NewQIS (New Quality and Quantity Indices reliable and standardised way. in Science) platform was employed to identify RSV- ► Since the Web of Science has a preference for related articles published in the Web of Science until English journals, we have to acknowledge a 2013. We performed a numerical analysis of all articles, language bias associated with our analysis. and examined citation-based aspects (eg, citation rates); http://bmjopen.bmj.com/ ► Citation-based parameters were assessed, results were visualised by density equalising mapping which have limitations since these rather reflect tools. the recognition of the research in the scientific Results We identified 4600 RSV-related articles. The USA community than truly measure quality. led the field; US-American authors published 2139 articles (46.5%% of all identified articles), which have been cited 83 000 times. When output was related to socioeconomic associated with 64 million infections that benchmarks such as gross domestic product or Research 3 and Development expenditures, Guinea-Bissau, The occur primarily in children under 5 years. Gambia and Chile were ranked in leading positions. A RSV belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family on September 29, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. total of 614 articles on RSV (13.34% of all articles) were and is a negative-sense, non-segmented, attributed to scientific collaborations. These were primarily single-stranded RNA virus, which is mostly established between high-income countries. The gender transmitted by droplets.4 RSV causes bron- analysis indicated that male scientists dominated in all chiolitis, pneumonia, bronchitis and croup. countries except Brazil. It is linked to recurrent wheezing and Conclusions The majority of RSV-related research paediatric asthma.5 6 There is no defini- articles originated from high-income countries whereas 1 tive treatment for RSV-related conditions. Department of Obstetrics and developing nations showed only minimal publication Gynecology, Keck School of Although the development of effective and productivity and were barely part of any collaborative Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, safe vaccines has remained unsuccessful to California, USA networks. Hence, research capacity in these nations 2 date, the variety of candidate vaccines is Institute of Occupational should be increased in order to assist in addressing 7 Medicine, Social Medicine and inequities in resource allocation and the clinical burden constantly growing in the last years. One Environmental Medicine, Goethe of RSV in these countries. prophylactic agent is commercially avail- University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, able, the neutralising anti-RSV antibody Germany palivizumab. Its use is limited to preterm INTRODUCTION babies, chronic lung disease of prematurity Correspondence to 8 Dr Dörthe Brüggmann; The human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and infants with congenital heart disease. doerthe. brueggmann@ med. is the predominant viral agent affecting RSV-associated morbidity and mortality usc. edu the respiratory tract worldwide.1 2 It is depends on many factors such as the Brüggmann D, et al. BMJ Open 2017;7:e013615. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013615 1 Open Access BMJ Open: first published as 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013615 on 26 July 2017. Downloaded from geographic location, climate patterns, genetic suscepti- METHODS bility, socioeconomic factors and local virus strains.3 The Methodical platform percentage of children having contracted RSV by their We used the NewQIS (New Quality and Quantity Indices second year of life approaches 100%.9 10 In the USA, over in Science) platform to assess the worldwide RSV publi- 2 million children aged 5 years and below need medical cation activity in a reliable and standardised way. This attention to treat their RSV infection every year.11 On tool combines scientometric methods and ‘density equal- average, 0.3% of these children and 0.7% of infants izing mapping projections’ (DEMP)17–19 to evaluate the younger than 6 months require hospitalisation.11 The publication output regarding quantitative and qualitative general RSV mortality rate in this demographic varies aspects, geographical and chronological developments, between 0% and 33%.10 Worldwide, up to 199 000 chil- existing research networks and socioeconomic bench- dren die due to RSV infections. Ninety-nine per cent of marks. 3 these deaths occur in in developing countries, hence Density equalising mapping RSV represents a substantial burden for community DEMP is a state-of-the-art technique to visualise bench- health in these nations. According to WHO field studies marking processes by anamorphic maps.17 20 Based on in 10 developing countries, RSV causes 70% of all acute the algorithm of Gastner and Newman, the size of each respiratory tract infections in children below 5 years of 12 country was modified analogously to country-specific data age. Here, the virus is identified in about 15%–40% on RSV research leading to a new geographic distribution of the hospitalised children with pneumonia or bron- of the global landscape.17 chiolitis.13 RSV epidemics occur during rainy seasons Data collection in tropical climates and during the winter months in temperate zones.4 Both virus strains, RSV-A and RSV-B, For data collection, the Web of Science (WoS) cocirculate during respective outbreaks . The A subtype Core Collection database (Thomson Reuters) was is typically associated with more severe disease.14 Distinct employed. The following search term was created: Title=(‘RSV’ OR ‘Respiratory Syncytial Virus’ OR ‘RS genotypes of both strains (identified by the genetic Virus*’) NOT Topic=(Rous Sarcoma). The Boolean classification of their G protein) are predominant in operator NOT was used to exclude all publications any given year. This pattern is highly flexible, varies by concerning the Rous sarcoma (virus). We limited our region and may shift to other prominent genotypes the 15 search to original research articles. Following our following year. Epidemiological studies are dedicated protocol, the time frame was restricted from 1900 to to characterise the distribution of RSV strains and geno- 2013; publications in 2014 were not regarded due to types worldwide, often leading to the identification of 16 incomplete data acquisition at the time the study was new variants such as the RSV Thailand B strain . performed. Although care of patients with RSV has been improved http://bmjopen.bmj.com/ considerably and extensive studies have been launched Data analysis to estimate viral spread and disease burden in devel- RSV-related articles were analysed regarding quantita- oping countries, tremendous challenges still remain. In tive aspects such as the total number of publications, regard to the high prevalence, morbidity and mortality citation numbers, countries of article origin (defined of RSV worldwide, we consider that further research and as the ‘country where the institution is located each the implementation of related public health measures author, who worked on publishing the article, is are crucial for future successes. However, global research affiliated’), institutions, languages, cited reference funds are limited and their allocation becomes chal- numbers and publication date. The number of authors on September 29, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. lenging. In this context, the assessment of the scientific publishing on RSV was only quantified for the years performance is a prerequisite for the reasonable distri- with 30 or more annual publications. Also, h-Indices, bution of monetary support and the planning of future and the average citation