title: Research citation analysis of nursing academics in Canada: identifying success indicators.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article is a report of a citation analysis of research publications by Canadian nursing academics.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Citation analysis can yield objective criteria for assessing the value of published research and is becoming increasingly popular as an academic evaluation tool in universities around the world. Citation analysis is useful for examining the research performance of academic researchers and identifying leaders among them.
  
  
  METHODS
  The journal publication records of 737 nursing academics at 33 Canadian universities and schools of nursing were subject to citation analysis using the Scopus database. Three primary types of analysis were performed for each individual: number of citations for each journal publication, summative citation count of all published papers and the Scopus h-index. Preliminary citation analysis was conducted from June to July 2009, with the final analysis performed on 2 October 2009 following e-mail verification of publication lists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The top 20 nursing academics for each of five citation categories are presented: the number of career citations for all publications, number of career citations for first-authored publications, most highly cited first-authored publications, the Scopus h-index for all publications and the Scopus h-index for first-authored publications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Citation analysis metrics are useful for evaluating the research performance of academic researchers in nursing. Institutions are encouraged to protect the research time of successful and promising nursing academics, and to dedicate funds to enhance the research programmes of underperforming academic nursing groups.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba, Canada, and Cancer Care Manitoba, Canada. thack@sbrc.ca
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Hack
authors.forename: Dauna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crooks
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Plohman
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kepron
mesh_terms: D015706:Bibliometrics; D002170:Canada; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D005181:Faculty, Nursing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009729:Nursing; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data