The 2024 impact factor (IF) of the Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society (JKNS) was 1.7, has risen from 1.4 in 2023 [1]. Given the unprecedented mass resignations of residents and the widespread class boycotts and leaves of absence by medical students in South Korea, the year-over-year increase in citation metrics is a positive outcome. This achievement can be attributed to the dedicated efforts of numerous researchers, especially considering the significantly increased workload placed on faculty members during this period [5,7]. Every 2 years, the Journal of the Korean Neurosurgical Society (J Korean Neurosurg Soc) has sought strategic directions for future development by analyzing citation frequencies and identifying trending research topics among papers published over the preceding 2 years. In keeping with this tradition, we have conducted the same assessment for the articles published during the most recent 2-year period [4,6].
The influential articles
Overview
Citation data for articles published in JKNS from January 2023 to November 2024 were retrieved from the Web of Science on December 15, 2025. Out of the 148 articles published during this timeframe, the total citation count reached 448, yielding an average of 3.02 citations per article. Notably, 113 articles (76.4%) received at least one citation, while 35 remained uncited.
Compared with previous results, the average citation index per article reached its peak during these periods, while the proportion of uncited articles fell to its lowest level. Although the total number of citations did not increase significantly compared to the preceding period, the rise in the average citation rate appears to be attributable to a reduction in the total number of published articles. These findings suggest that maintaining a rigorous peer-review process to filter out manuscripts with limited academic impact remains the most effective strategy for enhancing the citation metrics of JKNS under current circumstances (Table 1).
Table 1.
Trends in citations of articles published in JKNS
| Period | 2016–2018 [3] | 2019–2020 [6] | 2021–2022 [4] | 2023–2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles | 314 | 181 | 208 | 148 |
| Citations | 809 | 524 | 419 | 448 |
| Citations/articles | 2.58 | 2.89 | 2.01 | 3.02 |
| Articles no citations | 80 (25.5) | 44 (24.3) | 66 (31.7) | 35 (23.6) |
| Articles with higher than average citations | NA | 74 (40.8) | 63 (30.3) | 45 (30.4) |
Values are presented as number (%). JKNS : Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society, NA : not available
Based on citation metrics and the subject areas addressed, six papers were selected, which have substantially contributed to elevating the prestige of JKNS as the ‘Most Influential Articles.’ The titles of these papers and their respective corresponding authors are listed below. The Editorial Board of JKNS extends its warmest congratulations and sincere gratitude to the authors for their outstanding academic contributions (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1.
The corresponding authors of the influential articles in the Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society publication between the years 2023 to 2024. From top left to bottom right : Pei-Chen Tsao, Won Sang Cho, Dong-Joo Kim, and Dong Wuk Son. While six papers were selected, photographs are provided only for the four individuals who gave their explicit consent for publication.
Tsao. Pathogenesis and Prevention of Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Preterm Infants. 2023:66(3):228-238 by Pei-Chen Tsao of Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University.
Kim et al. Neovascularization in Outer Membrane of Chronic Subdural Hematoma : A Rationale for Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization. 2024;67(2):146-157 by Won Sang Cho of Seoul National University Hospital.
Kim et al. Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Neurocritical Care for Traumatic Brain Injury : Past, Present and Future. 2024;67(5):493-509 by Dong-Joo Kim of Korea University College of Medicine.
Kula et al. Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio and Serum Biomarkers : A Potential Tool for Prediction of Clinically Relevant Cerebral Vasospasm after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. 2023;66(6):681-689 by Burak Gunay of Trakya University Faculty of Medicine.
Oh et al. A Single-Center Experience of Robotic-Assisted Spine Surgery in Korea : Analysis of Screw Accuracy, Potential Risk Factor of Screw Malposition and Learning Curve. 2024;67(1):60-72 by Dong Wuk Son of Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital
Soylemez et al. Investigating the Potential of Lipids for Use as Biomarkers for Glioblastoma via an Untargeted Lipidomics Approach. 2023;66(2):133-143 by Serap Şahin-Bölükbaşı of Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University
Among the six influential articles, two are review articles and four are original articles; notably, half of these (three papers) are authored by international researchers. While review articles have traditionally garnered frequent citations, it is evident that original articles are also increasingly receiving significant attention. Furthermore, the high proportion of international authors is considered a positive development in terms of the internationalization of JKNS.
The fields and totitleics of articles which got more interests
Analyzing which topics capture reader interest and garner high citation rates is a crucial consideration in establishing the strategic direction for the journal’s advancement. Based on an extensive analysis of the recurrent high-impact keywords identified within the annual citation datasets, the primary research trajectories of the JKNS have manifested in the following thematic domains : artificial intelligence and digital transformation, minimally invasive and endoscopic surgery, endovascular therapy and neuro-interventional radiology, specialized clinical areas and quality of life (Table 2).
Table 2.
Most cited articles, core keywords of articles with high citation, trends of interested topics from year 2021 to 2024
| Year | Title of most cited article | Core keywords | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Machine learning-based prediction of osteoporosis using lumbar CT | Machine Learning, Lumbar CT, Focused Ultrasound, Endovascular Thrombectomy | Research applying AI to spinal diagnostics achieved the highest citation count (14), marking a shift toward digital integration |
| 2022 | Spine CT to MRI Synthesis Using GAN : A Preliminary Study | AI (GAN), Glioblastoma, Endovascular Thrombectomy, Cerebral Aneurysm | AI-related methodology continued to lead (8 citations), reflecting sustained academic interest in digital healthcare solutions |
| 2023 | Learning Curve and Complications Experience of OLIF: A Single-Center 143 Consecutive Cases | OLIF, Full-Endoscopic, Mechanical Thrombectomy, Trigeminal Neuralgia | Practical clinical data regarding surgical proficiency and minimally invasive techniques received significant attention |
| 2024 | Percutaneous Procedures for Trigeminal Neuralgia | Trigeminal Neuralgia, Full-Endoscopic, Minimally Invasive, AI | Systematic reviews of specific pathologies and future-oriented discussions on AI integration emerged as dominant themes |
CT : computed tomography, AI : artificial intelligence, MRI : magnetic resonance imaging, GAN : Generative Adversarial Networks, OLIF : oblique lumbar interbody fusion
Another key consideration is the source of the citations. The bibliometric analysis was conducted using SciVal (Elsevier), based on the Scopus database, to evaluate the global impact and citation trends of the JKNS for papers published between 2020 and 2024 [2]. Among the journals that have cited JKNS, a total of 118 citations were received from journals classified as Q1 in the field of neurosurgery (Table 3). This accounts for 26.3% of the total citations. The fact that one-quarter of all citations originate from highly influential journals is an encouraging development. The subjects covered in these papers—including artificial intelligence, cervical and lumbar surgical techniques, and aneurysms/cerebrovascular surgery—align with the trends observed in frequently cited articles. These findings are consistent with the established principle that highly cited papers tend to receive significant attention from high-impact journals. Furthermore, these results suggest that an increase in frequently cited papers can directly contribute to the growth of the journal’s overall impact factor.
Table 3.
The number of citations received from Q1-ranked journals in the field of neurosurgery from year 2020 to 2024
| Journal title | Citations received |
|---|---|
| Journal of Neurosurgery | 12 |
| Neurosurgery | 27 |
| Acta Neurochirugica | 32 |
| Acta Neuropathologica Communications | 2 |
| Spine Journal | 14 |
| Neurospine | 31 |
| Total | 118 |
Footnotes
Conflicts of interest
No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.
Author contributions
Conceptualization : HJY; Data curation : HJY; Formal analysis : HJY; Methodology : HJY; Visualization : HJY; Writing - original draft : HJY; Writing - review & editing : HJY
Data sharing
None
Preprint
None
References
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