Research productivity and citation impact of Nigerian academic pharmacists: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Research productivity is vital for academic growth and is measured using bibliometrics globally. However, the bibliometric evaluation of academic pharmacy literature in Africa is still developing. This study aimed to evaluate the number and citation impact of publications among Nigerian academic pharmacists and explore their association with sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted on publications of all academic pharmacists at 21 Faculties of Pharmacy from 2000 to 2019 using Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted. Results: Among academic pharmacists, 30.5% were female, 24.3% held professorial ranks, and 72% had at least one publication, with 15 authors contributing 25% of all publications. The H-index was higher in Scopus than in Google Scholar, increasing with academic rank (p < 0.05). Both genders produced equal m-quotients in Scopus and Google Scholar. Academics in pharmaceutics had significantly higher productivity and impact in Google Scholar (p < 0.05). South-Eastern pharmacists had the highest mean number of publications, while the North-Eastern region had the lowest percentage (14.3%) of publication-active faculty. Conclusion: Many Nigerian academic pharmacists were not publication-active and had low citation impacts. Research productivity and citation impact were influenced by academic rank, location, and speciality, but not by gender.