By:Mache, S (Mache, S.)^{[ 1,2 ]} ; Tropp, S (Tropp, S.)^{[ 1 ]} ; Vitzthum, K (Vitzthum, K.)^{[ 1 ]} ; Kusma, B (Kusma, B.)^{[ 1 ]} ; Scutaru, C (Scutaru, C.)^{[ 1 ]} ; Quarcoo, D (Quarcoo, D.)^{[ 1 ]} ; Klapp, BF (Klapp, B. F.)^{[ 2 ]} ; Groneberg, DA (Groneberg, D. A.)^{[ 1 ]}

Background Research activities on Alzheimer's disease have increased enormously recently. A differentiation between publications of major and minor importance has become difficult even for experts. Scientometric data on developments and tendencies in Alzheimer's disease research were not available to date. The aim of this study was to evaluate the scientific efforts in Alzheimer's disease research.

Methods Large-scale data analyses, density-equalising algorithms and scientometric methods were used to evaluate the quantity and quality of research achievements of scientists studying Alzheimer's disease. Density-equalising algorithms were applied to data retrieved from ISI-Web.

Results From 1985 to 2008, 50030 publications on Alzheimer's disease were published and included in the database. Approximately 97% of the articles were written in English. The USA was identified as the most prolific country during that period, Canada and the UK were the most important cooperation partners followed by Germany and France, as well as other industrialised countries such as Japan and Australia.

Conclusion Our results indicate an increase in research activities after 1990 which can be explained by some important research results and an increasing importance in the media. The study results imply that currently established measures of research output (i.e., impact factor, h-index) should be evaluated critically because trends, such as self-citation and co-authorship, distort the results and limit their suitability as measures of research quality.

Author Keywords:Alzheimer's disease; data acquisition; scientometric analysis

KeyWords Plus:PREVALENCE; DEMENTIA; INDEX

Reprint Address: Mache, S (reprint author)

Humboldt Univ, Charite Univ Med, Inst Arbeitsmed, Free Univ Berlin, Thielallee 69-73, D-14195 Berlin, Germany.   Organization-Enhanced Name(s)     Charite Medical University of Berlin     Free University of Berlin     Humboldt University of Berlin

Addresses:

	[ 1 ] Humboldt Univ, Charite Univ Med, Inst Arbeitsmed, Free Univ Berlin, D-14195 Berlin, Germany   Organization-Enhanced Name(s)     Charite Medical University of Berlin     Humboldt University of Berlin     Free University of Berlin
	[ 2 ] Free Univ Berlin, Charite Univ Med, Med Klin Schwerpunkt Psychosomat, D-14195 Berlin, Germany   Organization-Enhanced Name(s)     Charite Medical University of Berlin     Free University of Berlin

E-mail Addresses:Stefanie.mache@charite.de

GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG, RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY

Document Type:Article

Language:German

Accession Number: WOS:000280786200002

ISSN: 0302-4350

IDS Number: 637AI

Cited References in Web of Science Core Collection: 17

Times Cited in Web of Science Core Collection: 5