Faster, higher, stronger – together? A bibliometric analysis of author distribution in top medical education journals

Abstract IntroductionMedical education and medical education research are growing industries that have become increasingly globalized. Recognition of the colonial foundations of medical education has led to a growing focus on issues of equity, absence, and marginalization. One area of absence that has been under-explored is that of published voices from low- and middle-income countries. We undertook a bibliometric analysis of five top medical education journals to determine which countries were absent and which countries were represented in prestigious first and last authorship positions. MethodsWeb of Science was searched for all articles and reviews published between 2012 and 2018 within Academic Medicine, Medical Education, Advances in Health Sciences Education, Medical Teacher, and BMC Medical Education. Country of origin was identified for first and last author of each publication, and the number of publications originating from each country were counted. ResultsOur analysis revealed a dominance of first and last authors from five countries: USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Australia. Authors from these five countries had first or last authored 74% of publications. Of the 195 countries in the world, 53% were not represented by a single publication. There was a slight increase in the percentage of publications from outside of these five countries from 22% in 2012 to 29% in 2018. ConclusionThe dominance of wealthy nations within spaces that claim to be international is a finding that requires attention. We draw upon analogies from modern Olympic sport and our own collaborative research process to show how academic publishing continues to be a colonized space that advantages those from wealthy and English-speaking countries. Key messagesWhat is already known on this topic-Authors from a small number of high income countries are over-represented in published journal articles on medical education.What this study adds-This study shows that almost three-quarters of first and last authorship positions in several prominent medical education journals are held by authors from only five countries: USA, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Australia.-Authors from low- and middle-income countries, and from countries where English is not the dominant language, are under-represented in prestigious first and last authorship positions within the medical education literature.-As a field that claims to be international in scope, perspectives from outside of these five dominant countries are under-represented, limiting the breadth of views that make up the field of medical education.How this study might affect research, practice or policy-This study provides support for academics, academic institutions, and academic publishers in establishing policies that prioritize the inclusion of authors from low- and middle-income countries and from countries in which English is not the dominant language.-Explicitly including descriptions of the ways research teams address potential power imbalances in research studies that involve collaboration between HIC and LMIC authors, as well as fluent English and less-fluent English speakers in English language publications may allow further development of more inclusive models of international research collaboration.