Elite researchers in ophthalmology: Aspects of publishing strategies, collaboration and multi-disciplinarity

This study covers a ten-year period, 1990-1999, of the publishing careers of nine authors who appear in the top-20 most productive authors in the field of ophthalmology In this paper we discuss findings from a study of the publishing careers of elite researchers in the field of ophthalmology. The paper highlights the extent and nature of the journals in which these elite researchers publish their work. Data derived from the study include indications of multidisciplinary involvement or 'work-space' interests, publication characteristics, and: collaborative engagement with others. We provide insights into the workings of author productivity, characteristics of papers such as numbers per paper of pages, references, and: authors, and initial findings about their collaboration patterns. These findings, showing! (ir)regularities or patterns in publishing careers, may be of interest to researchers and practitioners because they provide a view that might not otherwise be apparent to the field or to authors themselves.