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

Abstract

The Quality Improvement and Research Committee of the Society for Vascular Ultrasound has recognized the Journal for Vascular Ultrasound to promote quality improvement, research and scholarly initiatives of the Society. An understanding of the content and character of its published articles and its status amongst journals on vascular ultrasound will be useful to this mandate. This project aims to identify the scope of Journal for Vascular Ultrasound and its implications for the Society membership. Journal for Vascular Ultrasound Volumes 40 to 42 (2016-2018) were reviewed to identify the number of articles published, the type of scholarly work, and the vascular ultrasound domains represented. The findings were compared with major databases and a targeted list of journals with vascular ultrasound content. In addition, bibliometric parameters specific to Journal for Vascular Ultrasound were identified and compared with other journals. The Journal for Vascular Ultrasound published 71 articles over the 3 years; 100% were vascular ultrasound topics. The most frequent activities were 35 cases, 20 research, and 5 guidelines. The topics were 19 venous, 18 carotid, 7 arterial, 2 aorta, 1 education, and 10 unusual findings, and 4 other studies. In the 312 targeted journals, 4792 articles were published in 2018; 135 were relevant to vascular ultrasound. The maximum vascular ultrasound content in any one journal, other than Journal for Vascular Ultrasound, was 20% (range = 0-20, median = 8%). The impact of Journal for Vascular Ultrasound, by the H-score of 11 and SJR of 0.12, ranks the Journal for Vascular Ultrasound in the lowest 10% of surveyed journals. Of the citable Journal for Vascular Ultrasound articles, only 6% were cited in bibliometric analysis. The Journal for Vascular Ultrasound has the highest percentage of content of vascular ultrasound of targeted journals. Case reports represent the bulk of Journal for Vascular Ultrasound published work. Citations and impact remain low. None of the targeted journals have very much content in vascular ultrasound. These findings suggest a variety of challenges and opportunities for the Society.

A Bibliometric Survey of Publications in Vascular Ultrasound

“…Some journals limit certain types of publication, such as case reports. Although the JVU is a primary target for publication by its adherence to a VUS mandate, 14 it ranks low by bibliometric indices and in journal ranking status. This represents a challenge and an opportunity to the journal and to submitting authors.…”