Global Research Productivity in the Field of Dermatoglyphics: A Quantitative Assessment of 50 Years of Journal Article Output

Dermatoglyphics is a scientific field that deals with the analysis of dermal ridge patterns on the digits of fingers, the palms of hands, and the soles of feet and is used as a mean of personal identification. The aim of this article is to assess the research productivity in the area of dermatoglyphics. The Scopus multidisciplinary database was searched for articles published between 1964 and 2013 in which one or more of the following Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) were used in either the title, abstract, or keyword fields: dermatoglyphics, plantar prints, and fingerprints. An analysis of 8,546 documents in dermatoglyphics in terms of types of documents published and language of publication; annual growth of papers; most prolifically publishing countries, institutions, authors, and journals; most cited papers; h-index; and citation status has been provided. © Shri Ram.