Bibliometric and structural study on in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer

Abstract

<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:ar-sa"="" lang="EN-US">A bibliography consisting of 285 items on the topic for the period 1978-83 was analyzed to study the various characteristics of the literature. Characteristics like dynamics of growth, format, authorship trend etc. were studied. Rate of growth has been found to be slow and steady like a well established discipline. About 95 per cent of all the publications are journal articles. Letters to the editors among the journal items reveal that the scientific community is still very active in the area and informal communication still dominates. The concept like In vitro Fertilization, Embryo Transfer cue conspicuously and extensively used. Aspects of social ethics about the' test-tube babies are also found important concern of the people. Most of the publications have been contributed jointly by three or more authors reflecting the nature of the subject developing as a collaborative research specialty. 89 journals have published 271 items, 12 journals have published about 50% of all the items and thus form the core. Fertility and Sterility is the single journal - most important on the subject, ranks first with 53 items. Of the 89 journals 35 published from U.S. & 12 from U.K. Nature and Science have also appeared on the ranked list.</span>