Citation classics in the integrative and complementary medicine literature: 50 frequently cited articles

Abstract Aim of the study The objective of the current study is to characterise the most frequently cited articles published in integrative and complementary medicine (ICM) journals. Materials and methods We utilised the ISI Journal Citation Reports: Science Edition 2009 database in May 2011 to determine the most frequently cited published articles. The top 50 most cited articles were selected and evaluated according to the type of journal, country of publication, topic, study design, and year of publication. Results The 50 selected articles were published in 7 out of 16 journals between 1980 and 2009, the majority of which originated from the US. The most common study design was literature and systematic reviews. The efficacy of ICM on pain was the most common topic, followed by the anti-inflammatory effect of ICM, prevalence of ICM utilisation, questionnaire development for pain, adverse effects of ICM, discussion of study design in ICM, chemical component of ICM, animal model testing, and obesity. Conclusions The findings provide a historical perspective on the scientific progress in integrative and alternative medicine. We revealed that majority papers (∼60%) were published between 1995 and 2004, suggesting that ICM has gained increasing attention since 1995. In terms of study design, review-type and questionnaire-related studies constituted approximately 60% of the articles. The actual number of citations from these articles was lower than the articles from the citation classics in other medical fields. The review of the articles having the greatest public recognition could help to establish and expand the role of ICM.