title: 'Initial Clinical Experience' articles are poorly cited and negatively affect the impact factor of the publishing journal: a review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The phrase 'Initial Clinical Experience' in a manuscript's title implies that the described technique offers promise of future clinical relevance. We assessed, using rates of subsequent citations, the actual academic relevance of such articles in comparison to articles not containing the phrase.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched ISI database for articles that included the studied phrase in their titles between 1975 and 2009 and grouped the results by the related medical specialty. We excluded articles from journals with no available impact factor. For each identified article, we extracted number of included patients, citations/year, the average impact factor of the publishing journal over the last five years and the proportion of articles published in the same journal that garnered zero subsequent citations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of a scientific database.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Citation rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among a total of 982,127 articles published in 186 journals representing eight major publishing medical specialties, 531 (0.05%) were Initial Clinical Experience articles. Thirty percent of Initial Clinical Experience articles were never cited compared with 7% of the overall article volume (p < 0.0001). Citations/year for Initial Clinical Experience articles were significantly lower than the median impact factor (p < 0.0001). There was no correlation between citations and number of patients described in the Initial Clinical Experience articles (p = 0.61).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Initial Clinical Experience articles are cited less frequently than the average, especially in Cardiovascular, Radiology and Ophthalmology journals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology , Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905 , USA.
authors.forename: Ahmed T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Issa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rezek
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Kallmes
references.citation: J Stud Alcohol. 1992 Sep;53(5):427-34
references.pmid: 1405634
references.citation: BMC Med. 2003 Nov 24;1:2
references.pmid: 14633274
references.citation: Acad Med. 2001 Jun;76(6):638-41
references.pmid: 11401811
references.citation: J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2004 May;86(5):1012-6
references.pmid: 15118046
references.citation: JRSM Short Rep. 2010 Jun 30;1(1):2
references.pmid: 21103094