Medical research in New South Wales 1993-1996 assessed by Medline publication capture

OBJECTIVES: To assess medical research publication output in New South Wales (NSW).

DESIGN: Analysis of publication information from the Medline indexing database, 1993-1996 inclusive.

SETTING: Teaching hospitals and affiliated universities and medical research institutes within NSW, the major sites for NSW medical science publications.

MAJOR OUTCOME MEASURES: Cumulative number and location of Medline-identified publications; journal citation indices (impact factor and immediacy index).

RESULTS: 8860 published articles were captured for the analysis period. Universities and hospitals accounted for most of the publications (n = 7755). A mean of 73.1% (range, 36%-100%) of all articles were published in overseas journals, and the rest in Australian journals. This average trend applied to most universities and teaching hospitals, whereas research institutes published almost exclusively in overseas journals. Average publication impact factor values for most universities and teaching hospitals were around the average value for all NSW publications (2.203). The range for teaching hospital publications was 1.000-2.823, but for the overseas-publishing medical research institutes it tended to be higher (2.480-5.423). Immediacy index data yielded similar findings.

CONCLUSIONS: The universities and teaching hospitals account for most of the medical publications arising from NSW, and also those appearing in Australian journals. Thus, these sites provide the bulk of Australian medical practice end-user information. In contrast, the medical institutes concentrate on publishing in overseas journals with higher and quicker citation rates (higher impact factor and immediacy index).