Trends in Research on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
Author Information
Author(s): Sanz-Casado Elías, Ramírez-de Santa Pau Margarita, Suárez-Balseiro Carlos A, Iribarren-Maestro Isabel, de Pedro-Cuesta Jesús
Primary Institution: Carlos III University of Madrid
Hypothesis
The study aims to analyze the trends in scientific research on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies using bibliometric tools.
Conclusion
The study reveals a very high increase in scientific production related to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, reflecting public health concerns.
Supporting Evidence
- Scientific production increased by 871.7% from 1973 to 2002.
- The United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France, and Germany were the top contributors to research.
- Collaboration among authors increased notably in the last sub-period of the study.
Takeaway
Scientists have been studying brain diseases that can spread from animals to humans, and the number of studies has grown a lot over the years.
Methodology
The study used bibliometric tools to analyze scientific literature from the Medline database published between 1973 and 2002.
Potential Biases
The reliance on Medline may not fully represent all scientific output due to potential indexing inconsistencies.
Limitations
The study relies on the Medline database, which may introduce bias due to its indexing practices.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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