Evolution of coauthorship networks: worldwide scientific production on leishmaniasis

Abstract

Introduction: Collaboration is one of the defi ning features of contemporary scientifi c research, and it is particularly important with regard to neglected diseases that primarily affect developing countries. Methods: The present study has identifi ed publications on leishmaniasis in the Medline database from 1945 to 2010, analyzing them according to bibliometric indicators and statistics from social network analysis. Examining aspects such as scientifi c production, diachronic evolution, and collaboration and confi guration of the research groups in the fi eld, we have considered the different types of Leishmania studied and the institutional affi liation and nationality of the authors. Results: Seven-hundred and thirty-fi ve authors participate in 154 prominent research clusters or groups. Although the most predominant and consolidated collaborations are characterized by members from the same country studying the same type of Leishmania, there are also notable links between authors from different countries or who study different clinical strains of the disease. Brazil took the lead in this research, with numerous Brazilian researchers heading different clusters in the center of the collaboration network. Investigators from the USA, India, and European countries, such as France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Italy, also stand out within the network. Conclusions: Research should be fostered in countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Sudan, and Ethiopia, where there is a high prevalence of different forms of the disease but limited research development with reference authors integrated into the collaboration networks.

Scientific publications from Arab world in leading journals of Integrative and Complementary Medicine: a bibliometric analysis

“…Studies have found that there is a positive correlation between research output, and international or national collaboration at the researcher level [ 23 , 44 – 46 ]. Previous studies have confirmed the significance of international collaboration in the quality of the research, which has a positive effect on citation rates [ 47 – 49 ]. A more recent study published in the Lancet to improve medical research in the Arab world recommended that an Arab medical research council-inspired from the US National Institutes of Health, the Medical Research Council in the United Kingdome, and French Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) in France-is necessary to establish strategies that promote medical and health research in the Arab world in collaboration with international institutions [ 31 ].…”

Dengue research networks: building evidence for policy and planning in Brazil

“…It has been used in policy planning for disease elimination/eradication [11], for mapping the interface between research and technological development [5], describing historical collaborations and their evolution [29, 30], and for prioritisation of research efforts [13, 14]. …”

Arab world’s growing contribution to global leishmaniasis research (1998–2017): a bibliometric study

“…A number of global bibliometric studies exist in various infectious diseases [19][20][21][22], including tropical medicine [23][24][25][26]. In addition, several studies have evaluated the research output for leishmaniasis [25,[27][28][29][30]. Previous reports about leishmaniasis have mainly assessed the research output of international studies, and paid less interest on leishmaniasis research structure in Arab world.…”