title: Poorly cited articles in peer-reviewed cardiovascular journals from 1997 to 2007: analysis of 5-year citation rates.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The extent to which articles are cited is a surrogate of the impact and importance of the research conducted; poorly cited articles may identify research of limited use and potential wasted investments. We assessed trends in the rates of poorly cited articles and journals in the cardiovascular literature from 1997 to 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified original articles published in cardiovascular journals and indexed in the Scopus citation database from 1997 to 2007. We defined poorly cited articles as those with ≤5 citations in the 5 years following publication and poorly cited journals as those with >75% of journal content poorly cited. We identified 164 377 articles in 222 cardiovascular journals from 1997 to 2007. From 1997 to 2007, the number of cardiovascular articles and journals increased by 56.9% and 75.2%, respectively. Of all the articles, 75 550 (46.0%) were poorly cited, of which 25 650 (15.6% overall) had no citations. From 1997 to 2007, the proportion of poorly cited articles declined slightly (52.1%-46.2%, trend P<0.001), although the absolute number of poorly cited articles increased by 2595 (trend P<0.001). At a journal level, 44% of cardiovascular journals had more than three-fourths of the journal's content poorly cited at 5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nearly half of all peer-reviewed articles published in cardiovascular journals are poorly cited 5 years after publication, and many are not cited at all. The cardiovascular literature and the number of poorly cited articles both increased substantially from 1997 to 2007. The high proportion of poorly cited articles and journals suggests inefficiencies in the cardiovascular research enterprise.
authors: From Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (I.R., A.S., B.B., A.G., R.C., J.S.R., H.M.K.); Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, South Australia (I.R.); Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R.); Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora (F.A.M.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Biomedical & Health Informatics (J.A.S.); Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri-Kansas City (J.A.S.); Department of Internal Medicine and Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (B.K.N.); and Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (H.M.K.).
authors: Isuru
authors: I
authors: Ranasinghe
authors: From Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (I.R., A.S., B.B., A.G., R.C., J.S.R., H.M.K.); Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, South Australia (I.R.); Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R.); Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora (F.A.M.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Biomedical & Health Informatics (J.A.S.); Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri-Kansas City (J.A.S.); Department of Internal Medicine and Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (B.K.N.); and Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (H.M.K.).
authors: Abbas
authors: A
authors: Shojaee
authors: From Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (I.R., A.S., B.B., A.G., R.C., J.S.R., H.M.K.); Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, South Australia (I.R.); Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R.); Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora (F.A.M.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Biomedical & Health Informatics (J.A.S.); Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri-Kansas City (J.A.S.); Department of Internal Medicine and Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (B.K.N.); and Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (H.M.K.).
authors: Behnood
authors: B
authors: Bikdeli
authors: From Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (I.R., A.S., B.B., A.G., R.C., J.S.R., H.M.K.); Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, South Australia (I.R.); Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R.); Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora (F.A.M.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Biomedical & Health Informatics (J.A.S.); Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri-Kansas City (J.A.S.); Department of Internal Medicine and Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (B.K.N.); and Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (H.M.K.).
authors: Aakriti
authors: A
authors: Gupta
authors: From Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (I.R., A.S., B.B., A.G., R.C., J.S.R., H.M.K.); Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, South Australia (I.R.); Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R.); Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora (F.A.M.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Biomedical & Health Informatics (J.A.S.); Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri-Kansas City (J.A.S.); Department of Internal Medicine and Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (B.K.N.); and Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (H.M.K.).
authors: Ruijun
authors: R
authors: Chen
authors: From Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (I.R., A.S., B.B., A.G., R.C., J.S.R., H.M.K.); Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, South Australia (I.R.); Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R.); Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora (F.A.M.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Biomedical & Health Informatics (J.A.S.); Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri-Kansas City (J.A.S.); Department of Internal Medicine and Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (B.K.N.); and Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (H.M.K.).
authors: Joseph S
authors: JS
authors: Ross
authors: From Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (I.R., A.S., B.B., A.G., R.C., J.S.R., H.M.K.); Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, South Australia (I.R.); Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R.); Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora (F.A.M.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Biomedical & Health Informatics (J.A.S.); Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri-Kansas City (J.A.S.); Department of Internal Medicine and Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (B.K.N.); and Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (H.M.K.).
authors: Frederick A
authors: FA
authors: Masoudi
authors: From Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (I.R., A.S., B.B., A.G., R.C., J.S.R., H.M.K.); Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, South Australia (I.R.); Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R.); Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora (F.A.M.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Biomedical & Health Informatics (J.A.S.); Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri-Kansas City (J.A.S.); Department of Internal Medicine and Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (B.K.N.); and Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (H.M.K.).
authors: John A
authors: JA
authors: Spertus
authors: From Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (I.R., A.S., B.B., A.G., R.C., J.S.R., H.M.K.); Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, South Australia (I.R.); Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R.); Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora (F.A.M.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Biomedical & Health Informatics (J.A.S.); Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri-Kansas City (J.A.S.); Department of Internal Medicine and Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (B.K.N.); and Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (H.M.K.).
authors: Brahmajee K
authors: BK
authors: Nallamothu
authors: From Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT (I.R., A.S., B.B., A.G., R.C., J.S.R., H.M.K.); Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, South Australia (I.R.); Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R.); Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT (J.S.R., H.M.K.); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora (F.A.M.); University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Medicine, Biomedical & Health Informatics (J.A.S.); Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri-Kansas City (J.A.S.); Department of Internal Medicine and Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (B.K.N.); and Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT (H.M.K.). harlan.krumholz@yale.edu.
authors: Harlan M
authors: HM
authors: Krumholz
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D015706:Bibliometrics; D002309:Cardiology; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D055811:Journal Impact Factor; D017712:Peer Review, Research; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: analysis; bibliometrics; citation; journal impact factor