An informetric analysis of malaria research in Zambia, 1961-2016.
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Date
2019
Authors
Chifunda, Namukale
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
The study focused on an informetric analysis of malaria research in Zambia. This study aimed to investigate research output on malaria in Zambia, from 1961 to 2016. The specific objectives were to investigate the research output on malaria in Zambia in PubMed/Medline from 1961 to 2016, identify the organisations conducting research on malaria in Zambia from 1961 to 2016, explore authorship collaboration in malaria research from 1961 to 2016 and identify the core
journal in which research on malaria is published from 1961 to 2016. The quantitative approach was used when designing and planning this study. The study made use of informetric approaches, which is citations analysis by obtaining 440 publications of malaria in Zambia in PubMed/Medline, to fulfill its general objective. These publications were produced between 1961 and 2016. Research output on malaria in Zambia was highest in the period 2011 to 2016
with the percentage of 45.2 (199) publications, whilst the lowest being from the period 1961 to 1975 with the percentage of 5 (2). Organisations conducting research on malaria in Zambia, such as Medical Research Institution produced the majority at 41.6% (183) of these publications, while Government of the Republic of Zambia like Ministry of Health, Chainama Hospital, Ndola Central Hospital, malaria research publications were the lowest at 2.7%(12). The authorship collaboration distribution patterns on articles on Malaria showed that 54.5% (240) were co authored by groups of more than five people, with the lowest of four authorship collaboration pattern at 8.6 %(38) of the published articles on Malaria. The study revealed highest number of malaria publications was the Malaria Journal with 23.0% (101) and the lowest journals were the Annals of Tropical Medicine and the Parasitology Journal with 1.1% (5) each. The distribution of the research publications on aspects of Malaria indicated that a significant number of authors 54.3% (239) authored on general and unspecified aspects on malaria, while the lowest 0.5% (2) focused on the symptoms of malaria. Based on the findings of the study, the following are some of the recommendations; more local research publications must be conducted, all types of authors should contribute equally to the authorship patterns in malaria research and more local authors must be contributing to the journals in which research on malaria is published.
Description
Thesis of Master of Library and information Science