Am J Emerg Med. 2026 Jun 29;109:133-140. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2026.06.041. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study focuses on characterizing the voices that are amplified through peer reviewed publication and how they relate to one another. This study aims to 1) identify patterns of author collaboration and representation, 2) assess how this varies among different journals, 3) examine the relationship between author collaboration and quantitative publication.
METHODS: This is a bibliometric analysis using descriptive statistics and network analysis, examining all publications in four influential emergency medicine journals from January 2015 through December 2024. Authors and journals were assessed on quantity of publications, patterns of co-authorship, and network characteristics of individual and aggregate journals.
RESULTS: There is a sharp right-skew of authorship – most authors have only a single article published in ten years. The most prolific authors in emergency medicine demonstrate significantly more publications than their peers. Journals show a propensity to publish multiple articles from a small number of authors, but there is variation among journals as to how many unique authors appeared during the timeframe studied. There was a gender disparity identified among the top authors, most of whom were men.
CONCLUSION: Bibliometric analysis is able to demonstrate academic influence while also casting light on the role of journals in peer-reviewed publication patterns. Publication is a vital component of academic success and tangible evidence of professional influence. How authors collaborate and journals select manuscripts is impactful, and unfortunately this study demonstrates inequity among the most visible authors in the most impactful journals.
PMID:42430864 | DOI:10.1016/j.ajem.2026.06.041
