The progress report of the Journal of Orthopaedics

Abstract

The Journal of Orthopaedics is one of the leading and fast-growing Orthopaedic journals from Asia (and India). It has demonstrated an increase in all the important journal metrics like submissions, citations, h-index, and Cite Score and has achieved its first journal impact factor in 2022.

In 2023, the Journal of Orthopaedics (JOO) received its first official journal impact factor (JIF) of 1.5.¹ It is the 9th-ranked journal among Asian countries and has the highest global Scientific Journal Rank of 134th (in 2022) among all the Indian Orthopaedic journals, followed by the Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma (150th rank) and the Indian Journal of Orthopaedics (178th rank), in the field of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.² Its Cite Score has risen from 2.5 to 3.4, as of 5^th January 2024 (Source: Cite Score Tracker; https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21100256976). The number of submissions, citations and h-index has increased in the last year, with h-index moving up from 28 to 36 (28.6% rise), the number of citations increasing from 2647 to 3312 (25.1 % rise), which are the highest metrics in the journey of JOO.³ Despite the catalyst effect of the COVID-19 pandemic waning, the number of submissions has risen from 922 to 1094 (18.6% rise). We had presented the progress of JOO earlier, which makes it one of the leading journals in orthopaedic research from Asia.⁴ As we reflect upon the remarkable journey of the JOO, we are compelled to express our sincere gratitude to the authors, institutions, and countries whose unwavering commitment and scholarly contributions have played a pivotal role in shaping the journal's progress.

The JOO has published a total of 1865 papers (from 2013 to 2023) that are listed in Scopus³ and 1880 in PubMed.⁵ The level of evidence of publications in the JOO has an outstanding track record with the original research and review articles contributing to ∼95% of the total publications. The JOO is also publishing a greater number of higher-level evidence papers; with systematic reviews contributing to 12.9 % of 2023 publications and an increase of 33.3% in the last year. The average citation per paper of JOO is 6.2.

The yearly publications have risen from 40 in 2013 to 224 in 2023. These papers involved ∼7000 authors' contributions. Special issues are crucial to the reputation and impact of a journal, and hence the JOO is publishing these regularly with a focus on the trending, and hot topics related to Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine, and Spine. In 2023, we published 224 articles in 12 monthly issues, including 172 original research, 38 review articles³ and the special issues on ‘Current trends and advancements in spine surgery’ and ‘Fracture Related Infections’. The JOO has published research articles on all aspects of Orthopaedics, and Sports Medicine, with the maximum publications being done on hip and knee arthroplasty (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1.

Top 50 most occurred author keywords in the Journal of Orthopaedics.

These prolific authors hailed from a diverse array of ∼4000 global institutions, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of our collaborative research landscape. Each institution represents a unique hub of knowledge and specialization and has played a crucial role in fostering a rich and varied academic environment. The most prolific institutions contributing to the JOO were: Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, USA (n = 33), Suny Downstate Health Sciences University, USA (n = 26), Singapore General Hospital, Singapore (n = 24), NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, New York (USA), University Degli Studi di Messina (Italy), and Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi (India) contributing 21 papers each.³

We also take pride in acknowledging the diverse and extensive contributions from countries across all the continents. The maximum contributing countries to the JOO, in chronological order, were the USA (n = 639), UK (n = 257), India (n = 229), Japan (n = 137), and Germany (n = 111).³ A collaborative network of the contributing countries is presented in Fig. 2. Our global author's unwavering dedication to advancing orthopaedic knowledge has not only enriched the content of our journal but has also positioned it as a significant player in the scholarly landscape. The collective efforts, spanning diverse departments and countries, reflect a commitment to excellence and a shared passion for contributing to the broader field of orthopaedic research. The JOO has its presence on various social media platforms, including Twitter (@journorth), and Facebook (https://m.facebook.com/groups/774491203947529/?ref=share&mibextid=Ehojnz). The top cited, most popular, and most downloaded articles of the JOO are available on the journal's website (Journal of Orthopaedics |ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier). Journal of Orthopaedic Reports (JOREP), the companion journal of JOO, is also doing very well having received ∼300 submissions in 2023 and getting indexed with the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

Fig. 2.

Top 30 countries' collaboration network in journal of orthopaedics.

In addition to extending our heartfelt thanks to all the authors, we are extremely grateful to our reviewers and editorial board members. This milestone (attainment of JIF) would not have been possible without their unwavering support and the dedication of members of the Editorial Board for their invaluable insights, and to the diligent reviewers who have devoted their time and expertise to ensure the high quality of published content. With gratitude, we would like to reflect on the impactful work done by all of you – the readers, authors, reviewers, and well-wishers of JOO, who have been a part of this incredible journey. We look forward to continued collaboration and innovation, as we collectively shape the future of orthopaedic research.