Bibliometrics is the study of publications generated by scientific research. Despite its known limitations, bibliometrics can be of great use in the assessment of health sciences, ultimately contributing to better research planning.
More than 30 years ago now, López Piñero and Terrada1 introduced the first bibliometric studies in Spain. Since then, interesting analyses have been conducted of Spanish scientific output in biomedicine and dermatology in particular, providing a reflection of the national scientific situation.
In the present bibliometric study, the authors provide an adept and well-written analysis of scientific output, the topics, and the level of scientific evidence of research in Spanish dermatology centers and institutions between 2005 and 2014 using PubMed and Embase.
Molina-Leyva et al.2 found a notable scientific output, although the quality of this output still appears to lag behind that of other countries. This leads the authors to reflect on what is necessary for better planning of scientific activity and to improve the quality of scientific output of Spanish dermatologists.
The journal with the most number of articles is Actas Dermosifiliográficas, probably because this journal is published in Spanish under the auspices of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.
In summary, the study highlights the need for improved planning of research in order to increase the quality of scientific output.
Please cite this article as: Belinchón Romero I. La bibliometría como herramienta de conocimiento de la situación de la investigación clínica española en dermatología y sus implicaciones futuras. Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2018;109:2.
