The Relative Citation Ratio: A Modern Approach to Assessing Academic Productivity within Plastic Surgery

Abstract

Background: The accurate assessment of physician academic productivity is paramount and is frequently included in decisions for promotion and tenure. Current metrics such as h-index have been criticized for being biased toward older researchers and misleading. The relative citation ratio (RCR) is a newer metric that has been demonstrated within other surgical subspecialties to be a superior means of measuring academic productivity. We sought to demonstrate that RCR is a valid means of assessing academic productivity among plastic surgeons, and to determine demographic factors that are associated with higher RCR values. Methods: All Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited plastic and reconstructive surgery residency programs and faculty throughout the United States were compiled from the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons website. Demographic information was obtained for each surgeon via the program’s website, and RCR data were obtained utilizing iCite, a bibliometrics tool provided by the National Institutes of Health. Surgeons were excluded if any demographic or RCR data were unavailable. Results: A total of 785 academic plastic surgeons were included in this analysis. Surgeons who belonged to departments with more than six members had a higher median RCR (1.23). Increasing academic rank (assistant: 12.27, associate: 24.16, professor: 47.58), chief/chairperson status (47.58), male gender (25.59) and integrated model of residency training program (24.04) were all associated with higher median weighted RCR. Conclusions: RCR is a valid metric for assessing plastic surgeon academic productivity. Further research is warranted in assessing disparities among different demographics within academic plastic surgery.

Use of the Relative Citation Ratio in Conjunction With H-Index to Promote Equity in Academic Orthopaedics

“…Similar findings regarding sex and RCR were identified in an analysis of RCR among neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, and plastic surgeons. 18 - 20 m-RCR, a surrogate for research effect, may temporally adjust for differences in the sex composition of our sample. Perhaps, in the upcoming decades, this gender gap will narrow and w-RCR can become a more reliable metric in the assessment of productivity.…”

The Relative Citation Ratio: An Impartial Assessment of Productivity in Academic Otolaryngologists

“…20,25 RCR utilization, rather than h-index use, is increasing in other fields of academic medicine, including neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, plastic surgery, and spine surgery. [26][27][28][29] For instance, one study compared RCR with h-index in academic ophthalmology and how these measures were associated with sociodemographic factors and outcomes such as academic rank and PhD or fellowship attainment. 19,24 The findings suggested that RCR, both mean and weighted, is a more effective measure of research productivity than the h-index.…”

“…H‐index is also not normalized across fields, meaning that it is mostly useful for comparison of individuals within the same specialty 20,25 . RCR utilization, rather than h‐index use, is increasing in other fields of academic medicine, including neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, plastic surgery, and spine surgery 26–29 . For instance, one study compared RCR with h‐index in academic ophthalmology and how these measures were associated with sociodemographic factors and outcomes such as academic rank and PhD or fellowship attainment 19,24 .…”

Wissenschaftliche Aktivität in der deutschen Thoraxchirurgie gemessen an der Publikationsleistung

“…In diesem Zusammenhang wird für die Zertifizierung als Lungenkrebszentrum der DKG eine Studienquote von ≥ 5% bezogen auf die Anzahl Primärfälle neu diagnostizierter Lungenkrebspatienten als ein Zertifizierungskriterium gefordert [8]. Die vorliegende Analyse der wissenschaftlichen Aktivität in der deutschen Thoraxchirurgie konnte gemessen an der Publikationstätigkeit über einen Erhebungszeitraum von 10 Jahren erstmalig neben einer positiven Entwicklung in der Publikationshäufigkeit Die Bedeutung eigenständiger Organisationstrukturen für die Publikationsleistungen chirurgischer Fachgebiete wurde bereits für andere Disziplinen diskutiert [11,12,13,14,15,16]. Übereinstimmungen mit bibliometrischen Analysen im Bereich der universitären plastischen Chirurgie und auch Gefäßchirurgie sind sichtbar.…”