Predictors of citation rates for research publications in Neurosciences

Objectives: To identify the predictors of citation rates for research publication in Neurosciences.

Methods: All original articles including meta-analyses (MAs) and systematic reviews (SRs) that were published in Neurosciences during 2011 to 2019 were reviewed. The impact of several predictors on citation rates was assessed using correlation coefficient and mean difference tests.

Results: This study examined 231 articles. The mean article citation number was 11.6. The correlation analysis showed a significant association between citation rates and duration from publication in years (p<0.0001), sample size (p<0.0001), study design (p=0.0353), and level of evidence (LOE) (p=0.03). The comparative analysis showed significantly more citations for articles that were published 6-10 years ago (p<0.0001), had a sample size >91 (p=0.0359), were randomized controlled trials (p=0.0353), MAs and SRs (p<0.0001), and level of evidence (LOE)-I (p=0.0004). Retrospective case series had significantly lower citations. The higher and lower citation numbers for publications from Iran and rehabilitation, respectively, may have been influenced by the duration from publication.

Conclusion: The most significant predictors of citation rates for Neurosciences publications were the age of articles, population size, study design, and LOE. Awareness of the predictors of citation rates may help researchers enhance the academic impact of their work.