The efficient and disciplined path to the indexing of Latin American journals in PubMed

In 1997, the US National Library of Medicine (NLM) developed an Internet search system for publications in the medical field based on the MEDLINE database, PubMed.PubMed was established in 1966 and has more than 32 million citations in 5400 American journals from 80 countries around the world, offering users multiple ways to search for these publications. They can be searched by title, by field, by author, by diagnosis, or a multitude of other ways. This search tool is offered as a free service by NLM and has completely changed information systems in the medical field worldwide, making the electronic publication of scientific papers possible and desirable. The vast majority of these publications are originally from the MEDLINE database of NLM, but there are other publication sources. Belonging to PubMed makes the publication, the authors, the institution, and the research itself accessible without restrictions. There is currently a large number of requirements to include a journal in PubMed. Some are of a legal nature, such as the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN), others refer to journal publication frequency (at least 25 peer-reviewed articles published), and some refer to the quality and type of articles (minimum number of original studies, case reports, etc.). With the online publication of a large number of journals, PubMed is able to classify journals into more restricted categories – for example, accepting journals devoted exclusively to surgical techniques. The requirements are published and easily accessible, but Latin American journals have great difficulty in getting indexed. In the field of orthopedics in Latin America, the Brazilian Orthopaedic Journal (RBO), Acta Ortopédica Brasileira, and Revista Mexicana de Ortopedia y Traumatología are the only ones indexed.Assessments are conducted by third-party assessors who place great value on some points, about which we were able to learn through RBO’s indexing process. 1. PublisherPublishers with an international reach are more valued, as they already have established contracts and methods. 2. Publication frequencyFrom 20 to 25 issues of the journal are usually analyzed, as well as publication time (how long the journal has been published) and the regularity of publications. 3. Citations by peersFrequency with which authors cite studies published in the applicant journal in the manuscript they are submitting for publication in the journal in question. 4. Streamlined and qualified editorial staff“Latin” editorial boards with a large number of members are viewed with reservation. Having members from other countries in the editorial board is a valued resource, but they should confirm their participation when questioned. 5. Diversity of authors regarding the origin of publications Assessors check whether there are authors from various origins, and not always the same authors being frequently cited. 6. Indexing in other databases (eg, LILACS)Even though the database is a regional one, the assessors will consider that the journal has already been through other assessments. 7. A recommendation made from an international author to the board of directors of PubMed’s orthopedics field has considerable weight. Getting indexed is a long way to go. However, as in any path to improvement, the process will provide parallel gains for the journal and its authors.

Authorship trends in the Egyptian orthopedic journal (from 2012 to 2020), as an example of a specialized Egyptian medical journals

Background Authorship trends in medical journals were studied in many disciplines, mostly in western countries' journals. We aimed at studying the authorship trends in the Egyptian Orthopaedic Journal as an example of a specialized Egyptian medical journal. Results A total of 397 articles were eligible for analysis. The mean number of authors per article was 2 ± 1 (range from 1 to 6), 161 (40.6%) articles were single authorship. The degree of the first author was reported in 305 (76.6%), the first author carried an M.D. degree in 302 (99%) articles, and in three (1%), the first author carried a master’s degree. No authors with a bachelor's degree were reported. Forty-two institutions contributed to the publications, 14 (33.3%) international and 28 (66.7%) Egyptian national institutions. In 368 (92.7%) articles, all the authors were from the same institution, and 29 (7.3%) articles were published as a cooperation between different institutions with a mean 1.1 ± 0.3 institution per article. International contribution to the journal was found in 21 (5.3%) articles. The orthopedic department from Cairo university was the most contributing department to the journal publications. Conclusions The old trend of single authorship prevails in the journal publications with a notable deficiency in young researchers’ contribution to the journal and low incidence of international contribution and poor national institution cooperation.

The 50 most cited articles about wrist surgery

The purpose was to establish a ranking of the 50 most cited articles about wrist surgery and analyse their features. Science Citation Index Expanded was used to identify the 50 most frequently cited orthopaedic journal articles written in English, searching for the topic “wrist surgery” in the subject category ‘‘Orthopaedics’’. Then, we analysed the number of citations, citation density, authorship, article institution, the year of publication, the country of origin of the article, name and impact factor of the journal, and publication type of the article. The 50 most cited articles were published in only 6 of the 74 journals included under the category “orthopaedics”. Citation count ranged from 256 for the first one to 67 for the 50th article. Most of them were written by American authors. These articles were published between 1991 and 2011. “Distal Radius Fractures” was the most common issue. This type of bibliographic analysis could be particularly useful for other young Authors who would like to improve their research in wrist and hand surgery and make their publications more citable and appreciated by the scientific community.

Manuscript Submission Patterns of Authors Publishing in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Journals

Background: Previous studies have examined the most cited articles in orthopaedic sports medicine research and the journals in which they were published. Purpose: To analyze the manuscript submission patterns of authors who published manuscripts in various orthopaedic sports medicine journals. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: All articles published in the March 2017 and April 2017 issues of Arthroscopy, the American Journal of Sports Medicine ( AJSM), Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy ( KSSTA), and the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ( OJSM) were searched. In addition, the past 50 sports medicine–related articles published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery ( JBJS) dating back from April 2017 to May 2015 were searched. The corresponding author of each article was asked whether the publishing journal was the first journal of submission. If the article was previously submitted elsewhere, authors were asked which other journals, the dates of submission, and the order of submission. The proportion of articles that were initially submitted to each journal, the mean number of submissions prior to publication, and the mean duration from initial submission to date of publication were calculated for each journal. Results: A total of 298 articles were included in this study, and 221 (74%) corresponding authors responded to the survey. The mean number of submissions before acceptance was 1.05 for AJSM, 1.18 for JBJS, 1.20 for KSSTA, 1.38 for Arthroscopy, and 2.19 for OJSM. The percentage of articles that were submitted to their accepting journal first (ie, not previously submitted elsewhere) was 95% for AJSM, 85% for JBJS, 82% for KSSTA, 68% for Arthroscopy, and 13% for OJSM. Conclusion: Among the orthopaedic sports medicine journals included in this study, articles published in AJSM have the highest percentage of first submissions.