Publication activities of German junior researchers in academic medicine: which factors impact impact factors?

Previous studies have shown medical students in Germany to have little interest in research while at the same time there is a lack of physician scientists. This study’s aim is to investigate factors influencing publication productivity of physicians during and after finishing their medical doctorate. We conducted a PubMed search for physicians having received their doctoral degree at Ludwig-Maxmilians-University Munich Faculty of Medicine between 2011 and 2013 (N = 924) and identified the appropriate impact factor (IF) for each journal the participants had published in. Gender, age, final grade of the doctorate, participation in a structured doctoral study program and joint publication activities between graduate and academic supervisor were defined as factors. For analyses we used nonparametric procedures. Men show significantly more publications than women. Before their doctoral graduation men publish 1.98 (SD ± 3.64) articles on average, women 1.15 (±2.67) (p < 0.0001, d = 0.27). After completion of the doctorate (up to 06/2015), 40 % of men still publish, while only 24.3 % of women (p < 0.0001, φ = 0.17) continue to publish. No differences were found concerning the value of IFs. Similar results were found regarding the variable ‘participation in a structured doctoral study program’. Until doctoral graduation, program participants publish 2.82 (±5.41) articles, whereas participants doing their doctorate individually only publish 1.39 (±2.87) articles (p < 0.0001, d = 0.46). These differences persist in publication activities after graduation (45.5 vs. 29.7 %, p = 0.008, φ = 0.09). A structured doctorate seems to have positive influence on IFs (4.33 ± 2.91 vs. 3.37 ± 2.82, p = 0.006, d = 0.34). Further significant results concern the variables ‘final grade’ and ‘age’: An early doctoral graduation and an excellent or very good grade for the doctoral thesis positively influence publication productivity. Finally, joint publication activities between the graduate and his/her academic supervisor result in significantly higher IFs (3.64 ± 3.03 vs. 2.84 ± 2.25, p = 0.007, d = 0.28). The study’s results support the assumption about women’s underrepresentation in science as well as the relevance of structured doctoral study programs for preparing and recruiting young academics in medicine for scientific careers. Promoting women and further development of structured doctoral study programs are highly recommended.

The German war lord and the British lion /

Mode of access: Internet.

Correspondence relative to the alleged ill-treatment of German subjects captured in the Cameroons.

Mode of access: Internet.

The tourist's pocket book : containing useful words and simple phrases in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, ... and Hungarian. Medical and surgical hints; cypher code for telegrams and post cards; blank forms of washing lists ... to facilitate the sayings and doings of British and American travellers /

Mode of access: Internet.

Chips from a German workshop.

v.1 Recent essays and addresses -- v.2. Biographical essays -- v.3. Essays on language and literature -- v.4. Essays on mythology and folk-lore.

German American Day

German-American Day on Ann Arbor's west side. West Liberty from Main Street with open countryside beyond. John Haarer's Photograph Gallery is at the left. (Source: Old Ann Arbor Town by Hazel Proctor.)

Gems of German song (revised edition) for low voice.

English and German words with piano accompaniment.

Proverbia communia; a fifteenth century collection of Dutch proverbs together with the Low German version.

Commentary includes the English translation.

German trade fairs : a handbook for American exhibitors and exporters /

"May 1986".

More Confederate imprints,

Supplement to Confederate imprints; a check list based principally on the collection of the Boston Athenaeum, by Marjorie Lyle Crandall.

General history of the Christian religion and church: from the German of Dr. Augustus Neander.

Vol. 1-2, 2d American ed., 1847; v. 3, 1st American ed., 1849.

A copious and critical Latin-English lexicon founded on the larger Latin-German lexicon of Dr. William Freund : with additions and corrections from the lexicons of Gesner, Facciolati, Scheller, Georges, etc. /

Mode of access: Internet.

A copious and critical Latin-English lexicon : founded on the larger Latin-German lexicon of Dr. W. Freund ; with additions and corrections from the lexicons of Gesner, Facciolati, Scheller, Georges, etc. /

Mode of access: Internet.

Europe and the German question /

Mode of access: Internet.

A history of German literature as determined by social forces, [being the 4th ed. (enl.) of the author's Social forces in German literature]:

"Twelfth impression."