Medical Journals are ranked within their particular fields. Journals are ranked by various metrics, some of which include quality of research, innovation and impact factor. There are others. Organizations that do the ranking include Web of Science, Elsevier, and Scimago Lab / SCImago Journal Rank (SJR). There may be others.
Some websites that provide ranking information on medical journals include:
Scimago Journal & Country Rank
Resurchify
Clarivate Data Citation Index (requires paid subscription)
Scopus
In general, when medical scientists and physician researchers publish information within their fields, they have to have stellar data if they wish to be published in influential journals. Some medical journals are eager for authors to approach them to publish their work, while others are very selective in who and what they publish.
The above websites that provide rankings can help a reader determine whether the article they are reading is respected by key opinion leaders or whether it is disregarded. The higher the ranking of the journal, the more likely the article is trustworthy. A medical research article published in Nature Journal will carry far more weight than if it were published in Medical Journal of Martians in Outer Space (not a true journal).
A few things to consider in what research scientists look for in determining whether an article is worth citing for their own work.
1. Number of references in an article
Generally, the more references an article has, the better supported it is. If a medical research article has 200+ references, it tells the reader the conclusions of the authors are well supported. OTOH, if it has 25 references, it may not persuade discerning scientists. A cutoff as to what is enough is ~ 150 references but there are exceptions (see below)
2. Country of publication
Some countries have abundant resources to do top notch scientific research. Research is costly and instrumentation is very expensive. Politically unstable, economically poor countries can not afford doing rigorous research. Subjecting patients to clinical studies requires paid staff, experienced professionals and capable hospitals, among other factors.
3. Reputation of authors
Some authors are extremely well known in their fields. These authors also must produce stellar data, but their opinions/interpretation of data goes further than individuals who are not known. Authors that are legends in their own minds persuade few people.
4. Number of subjects in a clinical study
If a study involves patients, the more number of subjects in a study, the more reliable the data. A study that includes 10 subjects likely carries poor weight as compared to a study that includes 10,000 subjects.
5. Number of times the article has been cited
If an article that was published 10 years ago has been cited onlly 10 times, it likely means it had poor impact. If an article was published 5 years ago, and it has been cited 2,000 times, that likely indicates it had a significant impact.
note of caution: One study means nothing.
Within medicine, "schools of thought" are known as "medical paradigms". For example, the former paradigm within Cardiology regading Coronary Artery Disease which causes Heart Attacks, was that LDL cholesterol or "bad cholesterol" was largely responsible. The prevailing paradigm now teaches that atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process that involves many factors in addition to LDL cholesterol. It took scores of published research articles by global research scientists over a decade to persuade scientists in Cardiology, that atherosclerosis is in fact an inflammatory process. While LDL Cholesterol is still a factor, it is not the end all and be all. One of the key articles that essentially sealed the deal regading this paradigm shift is known as the Cantos Study.
Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease
According to PubMed, the above Cantos study has been cited over 2400 times in just 5 years. Additionally, some of the authors in the study are very known and respected across the world within Cardiology. Additionally, the journal that published the study is very respected. These all direct the reader to take note of the study because it has all the "stars aligned". However, the Cantos study alone would not have been enough to cause the paradigm shift. It needed all of the many other previously published articles that argued the same points: atherosclerosis is likely an inflammatory process
There are medical journals and then there are medical journals. Be discerning in adopting published literature. Demand bullet proof data.
Some websites that provide ranking information on medical journals include:
Scimago Journal & Country Rank
Resurchify
Clarivate Data Citation Index (requires paid subscription)
Scopus
In general, when medical scientists and physician researchers publish information within their fields, they have to have stellar data if they wish to be published in influential journals. Some medical journals are eager for authors to approach them to publish their work, while others are very selective in who and what they publish.
The above websites that provide rankings can help a reader determine whether the article they are reading is respected by key opinion leaders or whether it is disregarded. The higher the ranking of the journal, the more likely the article is trustworthy. A medical research article published in Nature Journal will carry far more weight than if it were published in Medical Journal of Martians in Outer Space (not a true journal).
A few things to consider in what research scientists look for in determining whether an article is worth citing for their own work.
1. Number of references in an article
Generally, the more references an article has, the better supported it is. If a medical research article has 200+ references, it tells the reader the conclusions of the authors are well supported. OTOH, if it has 25 references, it may not persuade discerning scientists. A cutoff as to what is enough is ~ 150 references but there are exceptions (see below)
2. Country of publication
Some countries have abundant resources to do top notch scientific research. Research is costly and instrumentation is very expensive. Politically unstable, economically poor countries can not afford doing rigorous research. Subjecting patients to clinical studies requires paid staff, experienced professionals and capable hospitals, among other factors.
3. Reputation of authors
Some authors are extremely well known in their fields. These authors also must produce stellar data, but their opinions/interpretation of data goes further than individuals who are not known. Authors that are legends in their own minds persuade few people.
4. Number of subjects in a clinical study
If a study involves patients, the more number of subjects in a study, the more reliable the data. A study that includes 10 subjects likely carries poor weight as compared to a study that includes 10,000 subjects.
5. Number of times the article has been cited
If an article that was published 10 years ago has been cited onlly 10 times, it likely means it had poor impact. If an article was published 5 years ago, and it has been cited 2,000 times, that likely indicates it had a significant impact.
note of caution: One study means nothing.
Within medicine, "schools of thought" are known as "medical paradigms". For example, the former paradigm within Cardiology regading Coronary Artery Disease which causes Heart Attacks, was that LDL cholesterol or "bad cholesterol" was largely responsible. The prevailing paradigm now teaches that atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process that involves many factors in addition to LDL cholesterol. It took scores of published research articles by global research scientists over a decade to persuade scientists in Cardiology, that atherosclerosis is in fact an inflammatory process. While LDL Cholesterol is still a factor, it is not the end all and be all. One of the key articles that essentially sealed the deal regading this paradigm shift is known as the Cantos Study.
Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease
According to PubMed, the above Cantos study has been cited over 2400 times in just 5 years. Additionally, some of the authors in the study are very known and respected across the world within Cardiology. Additionally, the journal that published the study is very respected. These all direct the reader to take note of the study because it has all the "stars aligned". However, the Cantos study alone would not have been enough to cause the paradigm shift. It needed all of the many other previously published articles that argued the same points: atherosclerosis is likely an inflammatory process
There are medical journals and then there are medical journals. Be discerning in adopting published literature. Demand bullet proof data.
