Trends in otolaryngology publications: A 9-year bibliometric analysis of articles published in Journal of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery

Abstract

Background The advancement of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) as a specialty relies on excellence in research. The Journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery is an open access, peer-reviewed journal publishing on all aspects and subspecialities of OHNS. It is the official journal of the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. This study aims to analyze bibliometric trends in authorships and institutional contributions within the Journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery over a 9-year period. Methods All research articles published online in the journal were analyzed from 2013 to the end of 2021. The professional designation of all authors was recorded along with the article type, article category, institutional affiliations and international collaborations. Cochran–Armitage trend tests were used to assess the change in proportion over time between years and groups. Results Of the 603 articles, 20 were excluded as they represented correspondence or corrections, or author identity could not be determined. 583 articles with 3409 total authors were included. Number of first authors with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree decreased from 90.2 to 85.3% ( P = 0.165). Sub-group analysis of non-MD first authors demonstrated a significant increase in medical students as first authors from 1.6 to 11.8% ( P = 0.008). Senior author degree demonstrated a significant increase in MD degree from 96.7 to 98.5% ( P = 0.002). Analysis of article categories demonstrated a significant decrease in education and head and neck surgery related articles from 8.2 to 2.9% ( P = 0.032) and 44.3 to 29.4% ( P = 0.028) respectively. Pediatric otolaryngology articles increased significantly from 0 to 5.9% ( P < 0.0001). Systematic and scoping reviews significantly increased, from 3.3 to 10.3% ( P = 0.015) and original research significantly decreased from 83.6 to 82.4% ( P < 0.0001). There was a significant decrease in Canadian/international collaborations from 14.3 to 4.7% ( P = 0.037). There was a significant increase in international first and senior authors, from 23.0 to 36.8% ( P = 0.008) and 19.7 to 38.2% ( P = 0.002) respectively. Conclusion The landscape of the journal is evolving with increased representation of non-MDs and international authors along with content that reflects higher level of scientific evidence. Future studies should characterize trends in other Otolaryngology journals to understand the research trajectory within the field. Graphical Abstract