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The Gerontologist
H-index 40

The Gerontologist

0016-9013

Published by: Gerontological Society of America

https://www.geron.org/publications/journals/the-gerontologist

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Psychology 101 146 222 33
Medicine 1059 92 84 22

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 330
Documents by Best Scientists*: 387
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 13
SCIMAGO H-index: 169
SCIMAGO SJR: 1.822
Impact Factor: 3.2

Overview

Top Research Topics at Gerontologist?

The journal mostly deals with topics like Gerontology, Nursing, Clinical psychology, Long-term care and Family medicine. In addition to Gerontology research, it aims to explore topics under Psychological intervention, MEDLINE, Research design, Activities of daily living and Dementia. It explores issues in Nursing which can be linked to other research areas like Health care and Geriatrics.

Issues in Clinical psychology were discussed, taking into consideration concepts from other disciplines like Family caregivers and Psychiatry.

  • Gerontology (24.36%)
  • Nursing (16.69%)
  • Clinical psychology (9.09%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Assessment of Older People: Self-Maintaining and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (12438 citations)
  • Relatives of the Impaired Elderly: Correlates of Feelings of Burden (3699 citations)
  • Caregiving and the Stress Process: An Overview of Concepts and Their Measures (3164 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Gerontologist:

The published papers investigate areas of study like Gerontology, Clinical psychology, Nursing, MEDLINE and Dementia. The journal publications focus on Gerontology but the discussions also offer insight into other areas such as Psychological intervention, Well-being, Quality of life (healthcare), Activities of daily living and Mental health. While work presented in the most cited articles provide substantial information on Nursing, it also covers topics in Health care and Family medicine.

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

  • Law
  • World War II
  • Internal medicine

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The journal mainly deals with areas of study such as Research design, Gerontology, Psychological intervention, Dementia and Clinical psychology. The research on Research design featured in the journal combines topics in other fields like Health care, Nursing, Cognition, Stressor and Social support. Presentations on Nursing include those discussing Nursing homes and Long-term care.

Gerontologist tackles studies in Well-being and the interrelated subject of Quality of life (healthcare) to gain insights into Gerontology. It explores research in Dementia and the adjacent study of Family caregivers. Gerontologist addresses concerns in Clinical psychology which are intertwined with other disciplines, such as Association (psychology) and Anxiety.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • Older Adults' Experience of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Stresses and Joys. (47 citations)
  • Lessons in Resilience: Initial Coping among Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic. (24 citations)
  • Older People's Nonphysical Contacts and Depression During the COVID-19 Lockdown (22 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

The top authors publishing in Gerontologist (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Andrea Nevins (180 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Robert H. Binstock (61 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Steven H. Zarit (48 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • Sheryl Zimmerman (48 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • Rick J. Scheidt (48 papers) published 5 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Gerontologist (based on the number of publications) are:

  • University of Michigan (195 papers) published 8 papers at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition,
  • Duke University (150 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • Pennsylvania State University (135 papers) published 7 papers at the last edition, 3 more than at the previous edition,
  • University of Minnesota (127 papers) published 5 papers at the last edition, 2 more than at the previous edition,
  • National Institutes of Health (125 papers) published 5 papers at the last edition, 4 more than at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 6.76% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 16.67% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 6.88% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 23.19% of all publications and 53.26% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

  • Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
  • Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
  • Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
  • Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
  • Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Becoming a Gerontologist: Education and Career Path

The research articles mentioned above provide insights into the diverse topics that Gerontologists, and those in related fields, delve into in their pursuit of understanding aging and geriatric care. Individuals interested in venturing into this area of study may wonder about the educational requirements and career paths relevant to becoming a Gerontologist. Most Gerontologists primarily hold a degree in gerontology or a health-related field.

Moreover, aspiring Gerontologists could opt to get a degree in another related discipline such as nursing, social work, psychology, or biology. Courses typically cover subjects such as clinical psychology, long-term care, family medicine, and modalities in medical intervention, among others. Forensic scientists, known for their skills in investigation and research design, can find intersections for their expertise in the field of Gerontology.

Depending on their specific career goals, prospective geriatrics professionals might also need to pursue a master's or doctoral degree. A graduate degree usually allows individuals to specialize in a particular aspect of Gerontology, which can further enhance their career. On that note, Kentucky, a state that boasts numerous credited higher education institutions, offers a range of comprehensive courses tailored to Gerontology and Aging studies.

For more information on these courses, visit forensic science degree in Kentucky. After gaining a degree, it's recommended to acquire relevant work experience, either through internships, part-time jobs, or volunteering. This provides practical exposure to the field and an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in real situations.

Top Publications

  • Ageism Amplifies Cost and Prevalence of Health Conditions.

    Becca R Levy;Martin D Slade;E-Shien Chang;Sneha Kannoth

    (2020)
    358 Citations
  • Age Differences in Stress, Life Changes, and Social Ties During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Psychological Well-Being.

    Kira S Birditt;Angela Turkelson;Karen L Fingerman;Courtney A Polenick

    (2021)
    220 Citations
  • Socioemotional Selectivity Theory: The Role of Perceived Endings in Human Motivation.

    Laura L Carstensen

    (2021)
    212 Citations
  • Family Caregiving During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

    Scott R Beach;Richard Schulz;Heidi Donovan;Ann-Marie Rosland

    (2021)
    163 Citations
  • Challenges Experienced by Older People During the Initial Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic

    Allison R Heid;Francine Cartwright;Maureen Wilson-Genderson;Rachel Pruchno

    (2021)
    148 Citations
  • How Effective Are Dementia Caregiver Interventions? An Updated Comprehensive Meta-Analysis.

    Erik Walter;Martin Pinquart

    (2020)
    133 Citations
  • The Influence of Oral Health Factors on the Quality of Life in Older People: A Systematic Review.

    Liza J M van de Rijt;Celine C Stoop;Roxane A F Weijenberg;Ralph de Vries

    (2020)
    110 Citations
  • Social, Emotional, and Existential Loneliness : A Test of the Multidimensional Concept

    Theo G van Tilburg

    (2021)
    96 Citations
  • Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Differences in Dementia Caregivers' Well-Being.

    Chelsea Liu;Adrian N S Badana;Julia Burgdorf;Chanee D Fabius

    (2021)
    90 Citations

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Best Scientists Contributing to This Journal

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