Rates of pharmacokinetic literature obsolescence

摘要: Abstract Obsolescence may be defined as the decline over time in validity or utility of information. To investigate pharmacokinetic literature obscolescence, two discrete methodologies were utilized. In first type, age distribution 12,836 periodical references from 766 papers published 16 journals and bearing a 1982 publication date was analyzed (synchronous study). The median reference citation 4.52 years, 54.4% all citations to articles prior 5 years. Using non-linear regression analysis, groups types tentatively identified. ‘ephemeral’ type comprised about 98.5% sample obsolesced with 2.94 year half-life. second 'classic' 1.5% 21.6 half-life (there was, however, considerable imprecision this latter parameter estimate). A historical diachronous study followed quantitative patterns 6 classic 1960s. Citation counts normalized eliminate influence growth. harmonic mean obsolescence 2.24 results both synchronous studies strongly suggest pharmacokinetics is characterized by an unusually high degree rigor methodology data i.e. relatively ‘hard’ discipline.