Introduction: Analysis (Bayne et al., JDR 2006;85(Spec-Iss-B):1223) of research-intense dental schools (>$6,000,000/y) clearly shows the greatest number of publications (X=58±24/y) and publication rate (0.54±0.22 pubs/fac/y). Recently, it was suggested that research-intense schools also publish more frequently in non-dental (eg, Science, Cell) versus dental journals (eg, JDR, JPD).
Objective: Assess US dental school publication patterns in dental versus non-dental journals in terms of NIH-research category (intense, active, inactive) and publication index (articles/faculty/year).
Methods: 2004 NIH-funding levels for dental schools were obtained online (www.nih.nidcr.gov). Published articles were identified [ISI-Web-of-Knowledge; searched on address field as AD=((sch or coll) SAME dent SAME “abbreviated name of school”) for “2005” publication year (presumed to associate best with 2004 funding)]. Faculty FTEs were obtained from ADA-CODA lists to calculate the publication index (articles/faculty/year). Publications (n=1541) for included schools (46) were hand-searched and classified as dental or non-dental journals. Results were analyzed by ANOVA (*p£0.05, capital letters= differences with columns; small letters= between columns) for NIH-research levels and by regression analyses versus publication index.
| US Dental School | 2004 NIH | Pub Index = | Dental | Non-Dent | Non-Dent | % vs |
| Res-Intense (12) | >$6,000,000/y | 0.54±0.22A | 36±14A,a | 41±24A,a | 51%±16A | r2=0.00 |
| Res-Active (25) | >$600,000/y | 0.31±0.18B | 20±12B,a | 16±14B,a | 42%±18A | r2=0.00 |
| Res-Limited (9) | <$600,000/y | 0.17±0.15B | 7±7C,a | 4±6B,a | 29%±33A | r2=0.01 |
| Total: |
| 0.38±0.24 | 21±15a | 20±20 a | 41%±22 | r2=0.04 |
Results: No difference existed for number of dental (21±15) versus non-dental (20±20) publications overall or within any single research group. Differences (p<0.05) occurred within dental or non-dental categories among research-intense versus research-active groups. No relationship (r2=0.04) existed for percentage non-dental publications/school versus publication index (articles/faculty/y) or for any research group.
Conclusion: All evidence suggests there is “no” relationship of “dental versus non-dental publication type” for any research category or publication index of faculty productivity.