Stem cell research: bibliometric analysis of main research areas through KeyWords Plus

Purpose – Research with stem cells is a biomedical venture with great scientific impact, and whose development flows over into many other areas. This article aims to present a dual analysis of Spain's scientific output in this field during the period 1997‐2007.Design/methodology/approach – The authors used bibliometric indicators of a basic nature as well as techniques for the visualization and analysis of networks of scientific information based on a study of KeyWords Plus.Findings – The output is mainly concentrated in Cataluna and Madrid, and hospitals are the most productive centres (followed by health institutes), where the main authors are affiliated. Main categories are hematology, oncology and biophysics. The outstanding areas of study revolve around the therapeutic use of transplant of hematopoietic progenitors, the processes of generation, proliferation and differentiation of lines of cells, and the study of neurosciences.Originality/value – This study provides an overview of Spanish research in...