Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on publication dynamics and non-COVID-19 research production

• DOI: 10.1186/s12874-021-01404-9
• Publication Date: 2021-11-22T16:06:09Z
• Authors: Marc Raynaud; Valentin Goutaudier; Kevin Louis; Solaf Al-Awadhi; Quentin Dubourg; Agathe Truchot; Romain Brousse; Nouredine Saleh; Alessia Giarraputo; Charlotte Debiais; Zeynep Demir; Anaïs Certain; Francine Tacafred; Esteban Cortes-Ga...; Safia Yanes; Jessy Dagobert; Sofia Naser; Blaise Robin; Élodie Bailly; Xavier Jouven; Peter P. Reese; Alexandre Loupy
• Keywords: Pandemic

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected health systems and medical research worldwide but its impact on the global publication dynamics non-COVID-19 not been measured. We hypothesized that may have impacted scientific production of research. Methods conducted a comprehensive meta-research studies (original articles, letters case reports) published between 01/01/2019 01/01/2021 in 10 high-impact infectious disease journals (New England Journal Medicine, Lancet, American Medical Association, Nature British Journal, Annals Internal Lancet Global Health, Public Infectious Disease Clinical Disease). For each publication, we recorded date, type, number authors, whether was related to COVID-19, based series, patients included study if report or series. estimated with locally scatterplot smoothing method. A Natural Language Processing algorithm designed calculate authors for publication. simulated could during by extrapolating 2019 2020, comparing expected observed studies. Results Among 22,525 assessed, 6319 met inclusion criteria, which 1022 (16.2%) were dramatic increase publications general from February April 2020 weekly median 4.0 (IQR: 2.8–5.5) 19.5 15.8–24.8) ( p < 0.001), followed afterwards pattern stability 10.0 6.0–14.0) until December = 0.045 comparison April). Two prototypical editorial strategies found: 1) maintained volume while integrating thus increased their overall production, 2) decreased publications. using simulation models COVID associated 18% decrease also found significant change type as compared illustrated original (47.9% vs 71.3% publications, 0.001). Last, showed higher especially reports 9.0 6.0–13.0) 3.0–6.0) Conclusion In this gathering journals, shown rise accompanied substantial Meta-research registration https://osf.io/9vtzp/ .