Review Article

Medical publication and scientometrics

Izet Masic
Department of Family Medicine, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

As the fact that today is conducted a number of scientific research works in the field of medicine, it is necessary to define the steps by
which it is carried out to make it universal and to have scientific value. This paper describes the research methods, study design, the
way in which one should be written, and why it is important to publicize the same. Special emphasis is placed on scientometrics as
the science that evaluates scientific papers and their citation in the selected sample of journals. The paper also answers why scientific
research works should be carried out and what kind of satisfaction they provide to the researcher.

Key words: Method, publication, research, scientometrics

How to cite this article: Masic I. Medical publication and scientometrics. J Res Med Sci 2013;18:516-21.

INTRODUCTION • Detect risk factors for disease

• Development and testing of new protocols for the
True knowledge is gained through scientific research.[1‑5] prevention or treatment of disease
The highest level of knowledge is the ability to investigate
scientific problems. Medical scientific research is a The idea that researchers will get rich or become famous
process of systematic studies of individual, particular after writing scientific article must be immediately
aspects of the physical, mental, and social well‑being. discarded.[3,13] It usually takes a few months or even years
Those articles which include clinical and public health until the initial idea of ​​the study comes to the end of
research in the group include research on a population work and set of conclusions. Even after publishing, only
level. Research process can be extremely exciting to a small number of articles lead to the current changes in
researchers because not only the results are those that health status or clinical practice. However, the researcher
are important but the research itself, involvement in the can still enjoy the fruits of their labor through:
problem, exploration of the unknown and discovering • The acquisition of new skills
answers to the previous set of unanswered questions.[6‑10] • Satisfying its own curiosity
• The ability to publish their own work
In order that research project is valuable and recognized
by the academic community and other researchers, it is However, the most satisfaction for any scientist,
important to contain the same elements as the previous especially the young, should be the knowledge that
written works. It is immaterial whether the research the result in a particular way in the future will affect
is conducted by a student or a teacher, all the steps at least one person to be healthier. This should be the
are defined, and in a nutshell they are: Identifying the fundamental reason why the research is conducted.
issues that will be explored, data collection, analysis of
the collected evidences, and reaching a conclusion.[2,11‑13] Author Kathryn H. Jacobsen in her book “Introduction
to health research methods: A practical guide”[2] states
PURPOSE AND PROCESS OF MEDICAL RESEARCH that any research process consists of five steps. The first
step is identifying the problem that we want to explore
Researchers in medical research examine the biological, and the second is to choose the research manner. Once
socio‑economic, and environmental factors that the goals are set, the other three steps involve study
influence health and contribute to the development of design and data collection, data analysis, and writing
disease, disability, or death. Research at the population conclusions.
level has defined goals and the most important are as
follows.[1,3,9] Scientific researchers in the field of medicine interact
• Identifying and classifying new clinical identity through published articles or presentations presented

Address for correspondence: Prof. Izet Masic, Department of Family Medicine, University of Sarajevo,Bosnia and Herzegovina.
E‑mail: [email protected]
Received: 03‑06‑2013 Revised: 15-06-2013; Accepted: 26‑06‑2013

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 Masic: Medical publishing and scientometrics

at professional meetings (e.g. conferences). That research that are related to the research. Many databases contain
which is not published or displayed in another way cannot such abstracts, and we will mention just a few: MEDLINE,
affect the practices that can make people healthier. For this SCOPUS, EMBASSE, ISI Web of Science, EBSCO, etc. The
reason, scientists are encouraged, especially young ones, most important of these is PubMed, which contains more
after completing the project to publish scientific work in than 21 million abstracts (most of them from MEDLINE
a professional journal. and PubMed Central).[2]

IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM If the researcher cannot get from the database insight into
the whole article, it remains the possibility to directly contact
The first step includes actions such as: the author and ask for a copy of the same. After receiving the
• Selection of topic article, the researcher should re‑read the summary, review
• Literature retrieval charts and tables because usually the most important results
• Focusing on the question posed in the survey. are presented graphically, and read the whole article to get
a real insight into the problem.
This step is probably the most challenging part of the
research project. In this step, the creativity is not only Focusing on the question set in research
allowed, but is obligatory. Selection of research topics Having selected research topics, researcher should focus on
usually reflects personal affinity of the researchers for the the specific question to which research should provide the
problem. One of the most commonly used methods in the answer. What will be the guiding question in the study also
selection of research topics is brainstorming which aim is depends on the type of study that will be conducted. By the
to create a nice long list of possible research topics. After manner in which data will be collected, we can distinguish
the researcher searched the databases with summaries of three types of studies:
previously published papers, journals and books, consult • The primary study: Collecting and analyzing new data
with colleagues, he gained insight into the possibilities for • Secondary studies: an analysis of existing data
research and expand the list of possible topics for research.[2] • Tertiary study: A review and synthesis of existing
literature.
When are identified possible research topics, it is
important to formulate them so that each includes three CHOICE OF STUDY DESIGN
important elements: Exposure, disease or outcome, and Commonly used study designs are:
the population. When these three items are defined, they • A meta‑analysis
should be combined to form a research question that must • Correlation (ecological) studies
be answered, for example: Is physical activity associated • Case studies and case series studies
with increased risk of bone fractures in adults with diabetes? • A cross‑sectional study
In fact, physical activity is exposure to potentially provoking • Cohort study
factor, bone fractures is a disease or condition, and adults • Experimental
with diabetes represent a population among which to • Controlled studies (case control),
perform the research. • Qualitative study.

Literature retrieval The study design must be appropriate to the goals that
Once the field of research is chosen, the researcher needs have been previously set. For example, if the objective is
to explore the existing literature that could be used for the to evaluate whether an intervention is effective, the most
research. Usually, first is explored basic information on appropriate study would be experimental. On the other
the internet. Organizations that deal with public health hand, if we want to understand certain populations, the
such as the World Health Organization (HFA ‑ Health for best would be to apply some of the observational studies
All Databasis) and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and such as a cohort or cross‑sectional study.
Prevention have basic information on various diseases and
risk factors for their occurrence. It might also be helpful Each of the listed types of studies is focused on a specific
finding statistical data for a particular problem, and once the population. Thus, for instance, case studies and controlled
exposure, disease or outcome, and population is identified. studies are focused on individuals with a specific
disease, while cohort studies are more concerned with an
Abstract (summary) presents a brief description of an individual’s exposure to the risk factor.
article, chapter, or book, and the length is one paragraph.
Abstracts in medical science give a glimpse into the design Researchers who have fairly easy access to the population of
of the study, the population covered, and the key words interest, such as a group of individuals with a specific disease

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 Masic: Medical publishing and scientometrics

or exposure to a risk factor, usually elect for the study design studies are among the best to determine the risk factors for
that is appropriate for the participants in the study. certain diseases.

Meta‑analysis Cohort study

Usually, the goal of scientific research is to explore a new A cohort is a group of similar people who are monitored
identity and give insight into its characteristics. However, during a certain time. All cohort studies involving at least
the goals of meta‑analysis are synthesis of already two measurements as follows:
known facts obtained in previous studies and offer a new • During the initial research confirming the existence
interpretation of the results. Meta‑analysis of the research of the primary exposure and disease in all study
in the field of medicine requires: participants
• Extensive literature search • Over the next assessment while measuring the incidence
• Extracting key information from relevant articles of new disease in relation to the initial survey.
• The clear and concise presentation of information.
STUDY DESIGN AND DATA COLLECTION
Meta‑analysis can often be a helpful step in the preparation
of a primary or secondary research. It offers the researcher The third step involves creating a detailed plan to carry
possibility to become an expert in literature searches. In out the study. There are different protocols for primary,
some occasions the conclusions of meta-analysis are more secondary, and tertiary type of study. However, in any of
than an interpretation of the study involving a synthesis of them we should think about the following:
knowledge from a large number of articles. • Data collection methods
• Selection of the sample population
However, it is important to note that in academic circles
• Creating questionnaires
meta‑analyses are considered as less valuable scientific
• Research and interviews
works. Also, there are journals that do not publish
• Additional assessments
meta‑analyses and therefore their popularity is lower.
• Approval of the ethics committee
• Resources to conduct research
Case study and study of series of cases
• Financial resources and budget
Case study describes one patient. The study describes a
• Time limits.
series of cases of two or more patients who have the same
condition or disease, or who are subjected to the same
One of the most important steps in creating a study is to
procedure. Such research is possible only when there is
select a suitable sample from the population that will be
adequate access to the source of the observed cases. This
processed. We distinguish four distinct entities to consider
type of study is carried out if we want to:
before data collection. The broadest term is the target group
• Identify new syndromes
• The hypothesis for future research to which may apply the results of the research. Within
• Describe the characteristics and similarities among that group we separate well‑defined subset of individuals
patients with the same signs and/or symptoms of disease. from the target group. The sample population includes
individuals who were asked to participate in the study
Cross‑sectional study and the study population group consists of those who have
The aim of cross‑sectional studies is to measure the exposure actually consented to participate.
of the population or part of a particular risk factor or disease
at a given point in time. This type of study is used to: The questionnaire is a tool by which researchers
• Describe community systematically collect information from participants in the
• Evaluate health programs study. For any topic in the field of health care, one can make
• Assess needs of the population. the questionnaire. Best questionnaires are those who are
skillfully made ​​for a specific purpose.
Controlled study
Controlled study (case‑control studies) is comparing Most primary studies collected data from research
exposure to a particular risk factor in patients who are also participants through the interview. Interviews are suitable
those in which there is no disease. Its goal is to identify risk for data collection because they can complement also
factors for certain diseases. Participants in this study were other findings. Additional assessment incorporates:
selected according to whether they are sick or not. Therefore, Anthropometric measurements, vital signs, clinical
those who have the disease belong to the group of cases, examinations, tests, physiological functions, laboratory
and those with no illnesses in the control group. Controlled analysis, medical imaging, diagnostic procedures, etc.

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All researchers have an ethical obligation to reduce problem being investigated. In experimental and clinical
to a minimum the risk that could have participants research is necessary to specify the objective(s) of research
in the study. Ethics Committee must protect research and hypotheses (assumptions) which are included in the
participants, researchers, and institutions in which the study.
process is carried out. It is unacceptable to conduct
research for which protocols the ethics committee had Methods
not given consent.[1] The description of the methods used in the study must first
emphasize the study design that will be used. It is necessary
DATA ANALYSIS to describe the main features of the study, describe the sample
tested, the standard values ​​for the tests, etc. In this paper,
The fourth step in the research is the processing of the data it is necessary to explicitly specify the parameters that are
collected. Most studies require only a descriptive analysis monitored and controlled during the study. This part should
and some comparative statistical analysis. Data are usually end with the description of the statistical methods used.
recorded in some of the software used for databases processing
such as Microsoft Access. After the data has been entered, they Results
can be imported into one of the standard software for statistical Section where we present the results of research begins
analysis. For statistical analysis most of researchers now use with a description of the test population and clearly
SPSS software package, Statistical Package for the Social identifies the size of the tested sample and the demographic
Sciences, which is very useful for epidemiological studies. characteristics. The results obtained by statistical analysis
should be presented in tables and charts whenever
Descriptive analysis is used to describe the basic possible. When displaying the results it is necessary to
characteristics of the study population and other data mark the interval of deviation and their levels of statistical
sources. Comparative analyzes comparing groups of significance. In a comparative study, the interval of
participants on the basis of age or gender, exposure or deviation must relate to the differences between the groups.
existence of disease, etc. A comparative analysis involves
statistical tests that classify participants into two categories Discussion and conclusion
and compares the characteristics of those categories. Discussion is the most important part of the article, and it
begins by summarizing the key findings obtained during
WRITING AND PUBLICATION OF RESULTS the study. In it is promoted the most important results and
comparison with those obtained in previously conducted
The last step in the research is to write the report and studies. If they are significantly different, it is necessary to
conclusions of the research and the presentation or give a possible explanation for these differences. Finally, we
publication. [1,3,13] Usually, the results of the work are should give a confirmation of the set objectives (goals) and
published in the form of an article. Earlier we mentioned confirm or reject the hypothesis. In conclusion is presented the
that every professional article must have its own summary most important facts that were obtained during the research.
or “distillate” which outlined what was done in the course
of the research, in what way, what are the results, and Literature review
the author’s interpretation of them.[4] In article, “How to Citing references can be done in two ways:
Search, Write, Publish and Prepare the Scientific Papers in • In the text of which is given as a brief description of the
the Biomedical Journals”[3] states that the summary must be source of information
clear and precise. To help remember the necessary features, • At the end of the document where is provided detailed
it is useful to use the English acronym for “Keep It Simple bibliography information for each source.
and succinct” ‑ KISS.[3]
References are often cited in the nomenclature
After the summary, are followed the usual parts of a according to Vancouver or alternatively by style called
professional article. Above‑mentioned author in the same ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal
article provides given acronym IMRaD: Introduction, Editors). The literature review should use only those
Methods, Results and Discussion, and Conclusion.[3] references that are directly related to the topic of the study.

Introduction Article publication

The introduction should provide information that will At the end the article should be prepared for its publication,
help the reader to understand the methods and results and there are numerous reasons why researchers should
of the research. The introductory section should contain publish their work. Some of them are:
a definition of the problem and the formulation of the • The possibility of conducting scientific dialogue

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 Masic: Medical publishing and scientometrics

• Receiving critical review Some of the indicators used in the evaluation of scientific
• Showing respect for the participants and partners research are:
• Facilitate future research • Impact factor
• Personal satisfaction. • Article citations
• Journal citations
SCIENTOMETRICS • The number and order of the authors, etc.

Scientometrics is part of scientology (the science of science) Impact Factor is the number of citations of articles published
that analyzes scientific papers and their citation in the in the journal during the previous 2 years divided by the
scientific journal selected sample.[5] Name Bibliometrics in the total number of articles published in the journal during the
seventies was introduced to denote a quantitative study of the same period. Factor of influence depends on: The quality of
communication process using mathematical and statistical the journal, the language on which it was printed, the area
methods to books and other media of communication. it covers, and the magazine distribution system [Tables 1
Almost simultaneously, in the countries of the former and 2] [Figure 1].
Eastern Bloc was introduced scientometrics name derived
from the Russian language. More specifically, in 1969 was Citation provides guidance to scientific work because it
introduced the name scientometrics related to scientific field encourages scientists to deal with the most current research
that deals with the study of science as an information process areas. So actually “terror of scientometrics indicators”
by applying quantitative (statistical) method, and later organizing scientific work at the global level shapes and directs
Tibor Braun (who in 1977 established international journal it.[7] On the citation impact: Quality of work, an understanding
Scientometrics) introduced the name Scientometrics.[6,13‑16]
of the language in which the work was written, the loyalty of
a group of researchers, type of work, the benefit in terms of
“I quote you, and you love me,” “benefit” in terms of “I will

Table 2: The table explains where's the position of

Bosnia and Herzegovina in the world today in all areas
that are represented in scientific research work since
the 1996-2011 years
1996-2011
H Index 40
Documents 3.524
Citable Documents 3.436
Citations 11.353
Self Citations 1.864
Figure 1: H-Index from a plot of decreasing citations for numbered paper (http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:H-index-en.svg) Citations per Document 3,22

Table 1: H-index proposed by Jorge E. Hirsch, a physicist at UCSD, as a tool for determining the relative quality. This
figure present current biomedical journals in Bosnia and Herzegovina ordered by the H-Index values in 2011
Title SJR H index Total Total Docs. Total Refs. Total Cites Citable Cites / Doc. Ref. / Doc.
Docs. (3years) (3years) Docs. (2years)
(2011) (3years)
Medicinski Arhiv 0,121 10 101 281 0 69 277 0,29 0,00
Bosnian Journal of Basic 0,204 7 53 221 1.120 108 212 0,56 21,13
Medical Sciences
HealthMED 0,190 5 260 280 6.329 114 279 0,44 24,34
Technics Technologies 0,193 5 161 148 2.727 74 148 0,49 16,94
Education Management
International Journal of 0,196 3 43 47 1.061 21 46 0,46 24,67
Collaborative Research
on Internal Medicine and
Public Health
Sport Science 0,186 2 36 87 680 14 87 0,17 18,89
Acta Medica Saliniana 0,101 1 34 32 580 1 27 0,04 17,06
South East European 0,101 1 20 39 702 0 39 0,00 35,10
Journal of Economics and
Business

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 Masic: Medical publishing and scientometrics

not quote it because he/she is my competitor” etc. Most of the and to create opportunities to receive critical review of
scientific articles are cited by inertia, because every scientist those who have access to the research.
has a collection of articles cited whenever he/she writes about
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satisfaction, ability to communicate and conduct scientific

Source of Support: Nil, Conflict of Interest: None declared.
dialogue with other members of the academic community

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