Funding and publishing trends of original research by emergency medicine investigators over the past decade.
OBJECTIVE
To update the profile of author-reported funding of reports of original research published since 1994 in the four U.S. peer-reviewed general emergency medicine (EM) journals.


METHODS
For the primary analysis, articles published in Academic Emergency Medicine, American Journal of Emergency Medicine, Annals of Emergency Medicine, and Journal of Emergency Medicine between 1994 and 2003 were reviewed by two emergency physicians trained in abstracting from the literature. Original research was identified; case reports, case series, abstracts, and meta-analysis were excluded. Articles were classified by author report of extramural funding as government (public), private nonprofit (foundation), for profit (industry), or multiple. Data are reported as percent per year per journal. A secondary analysis of MEDLINE was performed to identify publishing trends by EM investigators outside of these four journals over the same period.


RESULTS
The primary analysis identified 5,728 articles; 3,278 (57%) were considered original research, with 32% of these reporting extramural funding. In 1994, there were 292 articles with 28% funded (28% public, 43% foundation, 17% industry, and 12% multiple). By 2003, there were 358 articles with 36% funded (42% public, 30% foundation, 18% industry, and 10% multiple). There was a trend toward increased extramural funding in all four journals (p = 0.007), with an estimated growth of 3.6% (95% confidence interval = 1.0% to 6.3%) per year over the past decade. The primary review identified 48% of all articles published by EM investigators.


CONCLUSIONS
Author-reported extramural funding rates for original research have increased in the EM literature over the past decade. Foundations have funded the largest number of studies, with public (government) sources increasing in 2003.
Birkhahn
Robert H
RH
Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USA. rhbirkhahn@pol.net
Van Deusen
Shawn K
SK
Okpara
Okemefuna I
OI
Datillo
Paris A
PA
Briggs
William M
WM
Gaeta
Theodore J
TJ
D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D017712:Peer Review, Research; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D012106:Research / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013038:Specialization; D014481:United States