China's scientific footprint in the global HIV/AIDS research: Productivity, impact and collaboration

HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death by infectious diseases in China, a country with the largest population in the world. China has made great efforts and progress in studying, treating, and controlling HIV/AIDS in the past 15 years. This situation calls the need for systematic analysis of the status and capability of China in the global HIV/AIDS research. It will facilitate the world to integrate and utilize resources from China in fighting against the disease. A bibliometric analysis in HIV/AIDS research of China was conducted for the period 2000-2014. HIV/AIDS articles and citations were measured as research productivity. A set of indices were examined to explore China's scientific footprint in the global HIV/AIDS research. China has exhibited higher-than-average research performance since 2008. Two stages of HIV/AIDS research development have been identified as in 2000-2005 and 2005-2014. Major HIV/AIDS research institutions and scientists in China have been detected. Co-citation analysis of publications revealed important publications that acted as intellectual turning points of China’s HIV/AIDS research evolution during 2000-2014. Co-occurring keywords analysis revealed important and center terms of HIV/AIDS research publications from China. Combinations of related issues show that the HIV/AIDS research is currently focused on the “epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in China” and “molecular mechanisms of HIV/AIDS infection”.