Trashing epidemiology and public health with bibliometry? In defence of science in Germany (and elsewhere)

Excerpt

The German Academy of Sciences—Leopoldina—assessed the state of public health research in Germany (Leopoldina 2015). The highly welcomed report identified the need to strengthen structures, education and research in public health (Anonymous 2015). The range of weaknesses identified for Germany can be generalized to other countries, including neighbouring Switzerland and Austria. Strengthening the infrastructure and funding schemes for public health research is necessary wherever public health sciences have not received the level of attention it gets elsewhere (e.g. the US or UK). Given the importance of the Leopoldina report, IJPH will soon publish invited commentaries. This editorial looks, however, at the bibliometric study Leopoldina commissioned as an input into the main assessment (Donner et al. 2014). The bibliometric study is misleading to a degree that warrants public debate. …