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The intellectual contribution of laboratory medicine professionals to research papers on laboratory medicine topics published in high-impact general medicine journals

  • Pedro Medina Escobar , Urs Nydegger , Martin Risch and Lorenz Risch EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: March 1, 2012
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Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
From the journal Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine Volume 50 Issue 8

Abstract

Background: An author is generally regarded as an individual “who has made substantial intellectual academic contributions to a published study”. However, the extent of the contribution that laboratory medicine professionals have made as authors of research papers in high-impact medical journals remains unclear.

Methods: From 1 January 2004 to 31 March 2009, 4837 original research articles appeared in the: New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Annals of Internal Medicine, JAMA and BMJ. Using authorship as an indicator of intellectual contribution, we analyzed articles that included laboratory medicine parameters in their titles in an observational cross-sectional study. We also extracted data regarding radiological topics that were published during the same time within the same journals.

Results: Out of 481 articles concerning laboratory medicine topics, 380 provided information on the affiliations of the authors. At least one author from an institution within the field of laboratory medicine was listed in 212 articles (55.8%). Out of 3943 co-authors, only 756 (19.2%) were affiliated with laboratory medicine institutions. Authors from laboratory medicine institutions were listed as the first, last or corresponding authors in 99 articles (26.1%). The comparative proportions for author affiliation from 55 radiology articles were significantly higher, as 72.7% (p=0.026) of articles and 24.8% (p=0.001) of authors indicated an affiliation with a radiology institution. Radiology professionals from 72.7% of the articles were listed as either the first, last or corresponding authors (p<0.0001). The subgroup analysis revealed that laboratory medicine professionals from North America were significantly less frequently involved as co-authors than were their colleagues from Europe (p=0.04).

Conclusions: Laboratory medicine professionals are underrepresented as co-authors in laboratory medicine studies appearing in high-impact general medicine journals.

Keywords: authorship; co-author; high-impact journal; lab med professional; radiology; validation
Corresponding author: Lorenz Risch, MD, MPH, Labormedizinisches zentrum Dr. Risch, Waldeggstr. 37, 3097 Liebefeld, Switzerland Phone: +41 31 979 00 00, Fax: +41 31 979 00 99
Received: 2012-1-6
Accepted: 2012-1-27
Published Online: 2012-03-01
Published in Print: 2012-08-01

©2012 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston

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https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2012-0007
Keywords for this article
authorship; co-author; high-impact journal; lab med professional; radiology; validation

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Masthead
  2. Masthead
  3. Editorial
  4. EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia: further insights and recommendations for prevention of a clinically threatening artifact
  5. Reviews
  6. Mitochondria as sources and targets of damage in cellular aging
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  10. Laboratory medicine and sports: between Scylla and Charybdis
  11. Guidelines and Recommendations
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  17. The transferrin/log(ferritin) ratio: a new tool for the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia
  18. Instructions on laboratory monitoring in 200 drug labels
  19. Lipid peroxidation markers in Crohn’s disease: the associations and diagnostic value
  20. Impact of asthmatic control status on serum cystatin C concentrations
  21. Elevated levels of Nɛ-homocysteinyl-lysine isopeptide in patients on long-term hemodialysis
  22. Interleukin-1α gene variants influence bone mineral density and the risk of osteoporotic hip fractures in elderly Slovenian people
  23. Novel method to dissociate platelet clumps in EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia based on the pathophysiological mechanism
  24. Proficiency testing/external quality assurance for the PFA-100®
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  26. Infectious Diseases
  27. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and paraoxonase-1 and 3 levels in patients with sepsis treated in an intensive care unit: a preliminary report
  28. Association between ischemia-modified albumin, homocysteine, vitamin B12 and folic acid in patients with severe sepsis
  29. Evidence for serum miR-15a and miR-16 levels as biomarkers that distinguish sepsis from systemic inflammatory response syndrome in human subjects
  30. The predictive value of immature granulocyte count and immature myeloid information in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis
  31. Hypophosphatemia, fever and prolonged length of hospital stay in seronegative PCR positive patients as compared to seropositive patients with early acute Q fever pneumonia
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