Fræðigrein

Læknablaðið 2004; 90: 839-45

Introduction: The study describes an assessment of scientific activity in Landspítali University Hospital for the period 1999-2003.

Methods: Bibliometrical methods were used to assess the quantity and quality of the scientific output for Iceland and the three main institutions active in medical sciences, Landspítali University Hospital, (LUH), deCODE genetics (dCg) and the Icelandic Heart Association (IHS). All papers registered in the International Scientific Information (ISI) database with an author affiliated with these institutions were counted and classified. The number of citations were counted in Science Citation Index (SCI).

Results: ISI publications for Iceland 1999-2003 were 2094, thereof 517 (25%) from LSH, 102 (5%) from dCg and 35 (1,7%) from IHS. Medical sciences accounted for 147 (33%) of the total in 2001. During the period 1981-2003 the total output of papers from Iceland increased from 0,01 to 0,07% and the total number of citations from 0,01 to 0,09% of the total world production. During the period 1994-98 papers from clinical medicine in Iceland were ranked 1st in the world with 6,7 mean citations when the world mean was 4,1. Molecular biology and genetics were ranked 10th.

Conclusion: The assessment shows that the LUH is a leading knowledge institution in Iceland. The international comparision shows that Iceland is among the top 10 nations in quantity and quality of medical research.