Bibliometric analysis of the top 100 cited articles in head and neck radiology

Background Bibliometric analysis is commonly used to identify influential research within a given topic. Purpose To identify the 100 top-cited articles in head and neck radiology, analyse the history and trends in head and neck imaging research, and understand what constitutes a highly cited work. Material and Methods A literature search was performed on the Thomson Reuters Web of Science using pre-defined search terms. The results were ranked according to citation count and screened to create a single database. The information included in the database were: Web of Science citations, year published, first author, primary institution, country of origin, journal, journal impact factor, title, study design, study focus and modality. Results 24,664 eligible papers were returned. Citations for the 100 top-cited articles ranged from 115 to 1185, and citations per year ranged from 3.5 to 197.5. More than half of the articles were published in the 2000s (n = 67). Radiology has the greatest number of publications (n = 22), followed by Journal of Nuclear Medicine (n = 14). Positron Emission Tomography (n = 56) was the most commonly studied modality, followed by Magnetic Resonance (n = 40) and Computed Tomography (n = 31). The most common topics of publication were diagnosis (n = 63), followed by prognosis (n = 16). Conclusion This study provides insights into the most influential research in head and neck radiology in the current time. It also serves as a guide to the characteristics of a highly cited work in this field.