What do we know about highly-cited papers in medical informatics? Reasons or attributes

Sepideh Fahimifar (), Ali Amoozgar, Mohammad Hossein Soleimanfar, Fatemeh Mozaffari, Marcel Ausloos, Behzad Gholampour and Sajad Gholampour
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Sepideh Fahimifar: University of Tehran
Ali Amoozgar: University of Tehran
Mohammad Hossein Soleimanfar: University of Tehran
Fatemeh Mozaffari: University of Tehran
Marcel Ausloos: University of Leicester
Behzad Gholampour: Parseh iMetrics Institute
Sajad Gholampour: Parseh iMetrics Institute

Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, 2025, vol. 59, issue 6, No 12, 5234 pages

Abstract: Abstract Understanding the characteristics of highly-cited articles and the factors contributing to their popularity has been a perennial subject of interest for researchers. Various factors have been proposed as reasons for the high citation counts of these articles, which may vary across different domains. The content and quality of any article are two common factors that significantly influence its citation count. This study investigates the factors leading to the high citation counts of articles in the field of medical informatics using two algorithms: Lasso and Boruta, aiming to identify the most critical determinants of high citation rates. In addition to uncovering the reasons behind the high citation counts of previous articles, this research also explores the factors that may influence the likelihood of future citations. The findings of this study reveal that number of citations by international researchers plays a crucial role in predicting the citation counts of articles, even if there is only one international author among the authors of the subsequent articles. Furthermore, the h-index of the authors is a key factor in the realm of medical informatics, where articles authored by individuals with high h-index scores tend to receive more citations. Additionally, factors such as the reputation of the first author and the number of references/resources, combined with international collaboration and the author's h-index, have a positive impact on increasing the citation counts in the field of medical informatics. Although various articles in fields such as rheumatology, sport sciences, and osteoporosis have discussed the reasons for increased citations from a single perspective, such as the topic of the article, this paper identifies all the citation-increasing factors presented in the literature and examines the most important reasons for citation growth in the field of medical informatics with a comprehensive approach. This broad perspective can be considered one of the strengths of this research. It contributes to the existing knowledge base by exploring the reasons behind the high citation rates of these articles. Researchers and practitioners in medical informatics will find this article valuable as it offers insights into the factors that contribute to the impact and success of scholarly work in this field.

Keywords: Highly-cited paper; Medical informatics; Lasso; Boruta; Citation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s11135-025-02218-3

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