A comparative analysis of articles published by Spanish authors (1993-1997) in biomedical journals with high impact factor

BACKGROUND: To identify the Spanish scientific production amongst different areas of clinical knowledge, and to compare it with those of five other Eu ropean Union countries. METHOD: Review of MEDLlNE(R) data base, for the period 1993-1997. Search li mited to four journals, selected, for 10 different medical specialities (Ca rdiology, Endocrinology, infectious Diseases, Gastroenterology-Hepatoloty, Haematology, Nephrology, Pneumology, Neurology, Oncology, Rheumathology). A rticles published by authors from Germany, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden and Spain. Journals included in the Internal Medicine subject classi fication were independently analysed. Data were also related with several e conometric indexes. RESULTS: A total of 1.763 original articles published by Spanish authors we re identifyied in the journal's sample over the analysed period (2.08 artic les per 100 all published articles). Spain contributes to the total achieve d by the six European countries analysed with 9.07 articles per 100 publish ed articles. Gastroenterology-Hepatology was the medical specially which ha s more articles published by Spanish authors (total: 338 articles; 4.15 art icles/100 published articles); and Oncology the one with less articles publ ished (1.26 articles/100 published articles). The mean IF value per journal by article is highest for Gastroenterology-Hepatology (4.86 FI/article) an d lowest for Pneumology (2.42 FI/article). Spain is the last amongst all si x European countries analysed in Endocrinology, Oncology and Haematology, a nd second to last in all others except for Gastroenterology-Hepatology (4(t h) place). Mean cost for each article produced by Spanish authors in the an alyzed sample was 0.49 US $ according the health expenditures per capita, a nd 0.07 US $ according the R+D expenditures per capita. Data from the indep endent analysis of Internal Medicine journals also showed that Gastroentero logy and Hepatology is the subspeciality with a higher number of papers pub lished in those journals. CONCLUSIONS: All efforts devoted to improve the quality of Spanish biomedic al research, specially in clinical research, had produced positive, but une ven, results, measured by the number and impact factor of original articles published in top ranked biomedical journals. The overall distribution of h igh impact factor scientific production by specialities is poor when compar ed to the European Union countries included in the analysis. Those results showed several improvement opportunities. Besides increasing the overall bu dget for R+D, its is likely that the time has come for backing the highest quality Spanish biomedical research, the one that offers greater and better chances for achieving scientifically valid results, and is published in hi gh impact factor biomedical journals.