An analysis of the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre’s (BRC) publications between 2012 and 2017 has revealed not only the large number of research publications by its researchers, but also the huge network of collaborations in which they were involved.
The study, published in the Journal of Translational Medicine, covered the period April 2012 to March 2017, the BRC’s second five-year period of NIHR funding.
It looked at the 2,377 translational research papers that were published across the 14 research themes and six working groups the BRC had during this period.
“This analysis shows that our researchers produced many high-quality publications during this period, and in many new areas, reflecting the close working between scientists and clinicians,” said Professor Keith Channon, who was the Oxford BRC Director during the period that was studied.
“Collectively, these papers were cited more than 155,000 times, a citation rate seven times higher than similar publications in the field – which is a striking indication of the impact of our NIHR BRC funding.”
Professor Helen McShane, the current Director of the Oxford BRC said: “What is particularly pleasing is the high level of collaboration with other institutions.”
“We have carried this spirit of interdisciplinary cross-collaboration into the current round of NIHR BRC funding. The researchers we support – now across 20 themes – have developed strong and productive partnerships with counterparts in many other institutions, and this pooling of expertise has been important in improving diagnoses and treatment for NHS patients across the whole country, as well as internationally.”