In 2018, as we marked the 40-year history of the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine (JSCM), we looked at the influence of JSCM’s content on care and research in the field of spinal cord injury (SCI) and dysfunction.Citation1 As metrics continue to evolve, we have the ability to see which articles are engaging our readers, including those with long-term influence, and recent research that is having a measurable impact.Citation2
Data for top downloaded articles for 2018 show an interesting mix of the classics and trending topics. The top three articles represent fundamental contributions to SCI care, research and rehabilitation, by international experts who conducted these important projects with support from American Spinal Injury Association (International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord injury) and several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Institute on Neurologic Disorders and Stroke, and the National Institute on Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (Spinal Cord Injury-Quality of Life [SCI-QOL] measurement tools).Citation3–5 The investments in these tools have clearly yielded the desired returns, as they continue to influence the work of a new generation of professionals in clinical care and research.
Following these three traditional reference-type articles are three recently published articles. Readers downloaded these to access practical information on care − a review on self-management of pain and depression,Citation6 and a study illustrating the opportunities to improve preventive care and screening among people living with chronic SCI,Citation7 − and to learn about the potential benefits of the cutting-edge combination of epidural stimulation and locomotor training aimed at restoring mobility.Citation8
We gain another, more timely perspective from looking at Altmetric scores,Citation2 which measure the quality and quantity of online attention that each article receives from different social media channels, blogs, Google+, newspapers, policy documents, and many others. Scores are updated on an ongoing basis, showing what is trending in the online community. Two recent articles have risen into our top ten list since their epublication by JSCM, indicating substantial online sharing. One focuses on an alternative method for prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infection,Citation9 and the other on patterns of cognitive deficits among individuals with SCI.Citation10
What information can we draw from these observations? Readers engage long term with tools that support quality and consistency in SCI research and care, while also choosing from a variety of new and exciting topics that reflect the scope of the field and the multidisciplinary professionals dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with injuries and dysfunction of the spinal cord. With the help of JSCM’s authors, editors, and reviewers, we continue to strive to bring the readership content that recognizes their needs and captures their interest in new avenues of research.
References
- Thomas FP, Murphy C. Four decades of publication: JSCM articles with staying power. J Spinal Cord Med. 2018;41(4):377. doi:10.1080/10790268.2018.1475608 doi: 10.1080/10790268.2018.1475608
- Thomas FP, Murphy C. Shaping the future of science publishing: the evolution of metrics. J Spinal Cord Med. 2018;41(2):131. doi:10.1080/10790268.2018.1426289 doi: 10.1080/10790268.2018.1426289
- Kirshblum SC, et al. International standards for neurological classification of spinal cord injury (Revised 2011). J Spinal Cord Med. 2011;34(6):535–46. doi:10.1179/204577211X13207446293695 doi: 10.1179/204577211X13207446293695
- Tulsky DS, et al. Overview of the Spinal Cord injury – quality of Life (SCI-QOL) measurement system. J Spinal Cord Med. 2015;38(3):257–69. doi:10.1179/2045772315Y.0000000023 doi: 10.1179/2045772315Y.0000000023
- Marino RJ, et al. International Standards For Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord injury. J Spinal Cord Med. 2003;26(sup1):S50–S56. doi:10.1080/10790268.2003.11754575 doi: 10.1080/10790268.2003.11754575
- Cadel L, et al. Self-management of pain and depression in adults with spinal cord injury: A scoping review. J Spinal Cord Med. 2018; epub doi:10.1080/10790268.2018.1523776.
- Lofters A, et al. Preventive care among primary care patients living with spinal cord injury. J Spinal Cord Med. 2018; epub doi:10.1080/10790268.2018.1432308.
- Terson de Paleville DGL, Harkema SJ, Angeli CA. Epidural stimulation with locomotor training improves body composition in individuals with cervical or upper thoracic motor complete spinal cord injury: A series of case studies. J Spinal Cord Med. 2019;42(1):32–8. doi:10.1080/10790268.2018.1449373 doi: 10.1080/10790268.2018.1449373
- Pannek J, Pannek-Rademacher S, Jus MS, Wöllner J, Krebs J. Usefulness of classical homeopathy for the prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections in individuals with chronic neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. J Spinal Cord Med. 2018; Epub doi:10.1080/10790268.2018.1440692.
- Chiaravalloti ND, Weber E, Wylie G, Dyson-Hudson T, Wecht JM. Patterns of cognitive deficits in persons with spinal cord injury as compared with both age-matched and older individuals without spinal cord injury. J Spinal Cord Med. 2018. Epub doi:10.1080/10790268.2018.1543103.