Publication Productivity in the Medical Radiation Sciences

Introduction: The evidence-based foundation of the health professions is dependent on research and its dissemination through peer-reviewed journals. The growth of a health profession is dependent on the sharing of knowledge. Various metrics have been used to measure the quality of journals, articles, and authors. These metrics, however, have many flaws. Publication productivity and patterns provide better insights that can guide professional and journal strategy.

Methodology: Bibliometric data were collected from seven key peer-reviewed, international journals for the medical radiation sciences. These key journals were examined over the period 2009-2013 inclusive (5 years). Medical radiation technologists (MRTs) who had published two or more articles in the seven journals during the study period were further investigated through PubMed and ResearchGate to produce a list of publications (excluding those already identified in the seven primary journals) from the 5-year period. Further analysis was performed on the most prolific authors.

Results: A total of 969 articles were published in the seven key peer-review journals that met the inclusion criteria. The 969 articles were written by a total of 2,083 different authors. Overall, 80.5% (1,676 of 2,083) of all authors only published once within the seven journals and 110 of these authors were the sole author of their article. A total of 165 MRTs were identified who had published three or more articles.

Conclusion: MRTs contribute significantly to the knowledge base of both the medical radiation science professions and the wider health community through active research.