A Bibliometric Survey of Publications in Vascular Ultrasound

Abstract

Access to a body of published research is important to the development of research and to inform quality patient care. Measures of such activities are determined by bibliometric analysis of publication databases. This project aims to identify the scope of such publications in vascular ultrasound and its implications for the ultrasound professionals. Major databases were surveyed to identify the range of publications in “vascular ultrasound” from 2016 to 2018. The topics, sources, and relevance of the publications were noted along with recognized impact factors and other parameters. A list of target journals was created in radiology, ultrasound, and clinical vascular spheres. These journals were assessed for bibliometric parameters, total number of articles, and articles specific to vascular ultrasound. Web of Science was used over a 3-year period to identify 4136 articles (1421, 1384, and 1326 in each of 2016, 2017, and 2018, respectively). This search returned 414 pages; of these, 2-page analysis revealed 15% were relevant to vascular ultrasound practice. Of the 21 “highly cited” articles, one was related to carotid ultrasound and one was aortic practice guidelines. Of the 31 targeted journals (radiology, 5; ultrasound, 16; vascular surgery, 7; vascular medicine, 3), 3873 articles were published; 123 (3.2%) were relevant to vascular ultrasound. The maximum vascular ultrasound content in any one journal was 8%. The activities were guidelines, 11; cases, 7; and mixed other, 105. The topics were carotid, 30; arterial, 17; aorta, 7; venous, 16; education, 12; and other, 41. The impact factor was 0.36 to 16.8 (median = 2.1). None of the targeted journals nor the major databases have much content in vascular ultrasound. The choice of journal for publication should be determined by potential audience rather than the journal itself. As a tool for an environment scan of trends in vascular ultrasound, no journal serves well.

A Content Analysis of the Journal for Vascular Ultrasound: Challenges and Opportunities

“…[6][7][8] Using standard parameters, the JVU ranks in the lowest 10% of all journals. 9 It is generally not clear as to which type of article or what content drives the impact of journals which do not have very much VUS content; their standing may well be determined by non-VUS content. Alternatively, case reports rarely contribute to the impact of a journal.…”

“…Higher ranked journals generally are preferred for publication of important work. 1,2 Review of a survey of major databases 9 of scientific journals (Web of Science, Google, and SCOPUS) suggests that JVU is not a primary resource for reference and citations. Despite its predominance in VUS content, the impact of JVU, by the H-score of 11, h5-index of 5, and SJR of 0.12, ranks the JVU in the lowest 10% of surveyed journals.…”

Mapping Media Framing and Politics: A Bibliometric Analysis Across the Globe

“…To ensure a thorough coverage, the continual process of identifying and monitoring relevant journals involves tracking worldwide cataloguing databases such as Scopus and Web of Science. Through bibliometric analysis, the significance and quality of journals can be assessed, which helps in determining the impact and relevance of published material (Wooster et al, 2019).…”