Snakebite envenoming – a combined density equalizing mapping and scientometric analysis of the publication history

  • Estimates suggest that more than 25,000 to 125,000 people die annually from snakebite envenomation worldwide. In contrast to this major disease burden, thorough bibliometric studies do not exist so far that illustrate the overall research activity over a long time span. Therefore, the NewQIS-platform conducted an analysis on snakebite envenoming using the Thomson Reuters database Web of Science. To determine and assess changes regarding the scientific activities and to specifically address the more recent situation we analyzed two time intervals (t). During the first time interval from 1900 to 2007 (t1) 13,015 publications (p) were identified. In the following period (2008–2016 = t2) 4,982 publications were identified by the same search strategy. They originate from 114 (t1) respectively 121 countries (t2), with the USA (p = 3518), Brazil (p = 1100) and Japan (p = 961) being most productive in the first period, and the USA (p = 1087), Brazil (p = 991) and China (p = 378) in the second period, respectively. Setting the publication numbers in relation to GDP/capita, Brazil leads with 92 publications per 10,000 Int$GDP/capita, followed by India with 79 publications per 10000 Int$GDP/capita (t1). Comparing the country’s publication activity with the Human Development Index level indicates that the majority of the publications is published by highly developed countries. When calculating the average citation rates (citations per published item = CR) mainly European countries show the highest ranks: From 1900–2007 Sweden ranks first with a CR = 27, followed by the Netherlands (CR = 24.8), Switzerland (CR = 23), Spain, Austria and the USA (CR = 22). From 2008 to 2016 the highest rate achieves Switzerland with a value of 24.6, followed by Belgium (CR = 18.1), Spain (CR = 16.7), Costa Rica (CR = 14.9) and Netherlands (CR = 14). Compared with this, the USA was placed at rank 13 (CR = 9,5). In summary, the present study represents the first density-equalizing map projection and in-depth scientometric analysis of the global research output on snakebites and its venoms. So it draws a sketch of the worldwide publication architecture and indicates that countries with a high incidence of snakebites and a low economical level still need to be empowered in carrying out research in this area.

Download full text files

Export metadata

Metadaten
Author:Jan David Alexander GronebergORCiDGND, Victoria Geier, Doris KlingelhöferORCiD, Alexander Gerber, Ulrich KuchORCiDGND, Beatrix Kloft
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-418592
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0005046
ISSN:1935-2735
ISSN:1935-2727
Pubmed Id:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27820835
Parent Title (English):PLoS neglected tropical diseases
Publisher:PLoS
Place of publication:Lawrence, Kan.
Contributor(s):Hithanadura Janaka de Silva
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2016/11/07
Date of first Publication:2016/11/07
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2016/11/10
Volume:10
Issue:(11): e0005046
Page Number:20
First Page:1
Last Page:20
Note:
Copyright: © 2016 Groneberg et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
HeBIS-PPN:421458909
Institutes:Medizin / Medizin
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - Namensnennung 4.0