Status of Turkey’s top publications in cardiovascular medicine, revisited after 4 years

OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present assessment was to identify “genuine” medical papers generated by Turkey’s institutions that have contributed most to cardiovascular medicine.

METHODS
Based on Web of Science data, 160 papers were identified as having received 40 or more citations as of late July 2015. Papers with more than minor contribution from international authors were excluded.

RESULTS
A total of 127 primary authors generated 160 papers, each receiving ≥40 (95% confidence interval 40–165) citations. These papers corresponded in quality to the global top 15% and were estimated to represent a global share of 3 per mille. Half were published between 2001 and 2006, with a median exposure period of 10.4 years. An estimated 9 of these papers have been produced in Turkey annually since around the turn of the century. Cardiology generated 120 articles, cardiovascular surgery 35, and pediatric cardiology 6. These papers originated from only 28 medical faculties, Gülhane Military Medical Academy (GATA), and 9 hospitals that are not academically affiliated. A majority of related Turkish institutions have shown disappointing performance.

CONCLUSION
The present assessment demonstrates that the unsatisfactory performance of Turkey’s contribution to cardiovascular medicine has further regressed, if slightly, particularly since 2006. Unless a wide-scale concerted effort is made to build an environment focused on research with a potential to contribute, Turkey’s gap in the field is likely to widen.