A bibliometric analysis of tuberculosis research, 2007-2016.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) research is a key component of the End TB Strategy. To track research output, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of TB research from the past decade.
Methods: The Web of Science database was searched for publications from January 2007 to December 2016 with "tuberculosis" in the title. References were analysed using the R bibliometrix package. A year-stratified 5% random subset was drawn to extract funding sources and identify research areas.
Findings: The annual growth rate of publications was 7.3%, and was highest (13.1%) among Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS). The USA was the most productive country, with 18.4% of references, followed by India (9.7%), China (7.3%), England (6.5%), and South Africa (3.9%). In the subset analysis, the most common research area was 'fundamental research' (33.8%). Frequently acknowledged funders were US and EU-based, with China and India emerging as top funders. Collaborations appeared more frequently between high-income countries and low/medium income countries (LMICs), with fewer collaborations among LMICs.
Conclusion: The past decade has seen a continued increase in TB publications. While USA continues to dominate research output and funding, BRICS countries have emerged as major research producers and funders. Collaborations among BRICS would enhance future TB research productivity.
Competing Interests: MP serves as a consultant to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), which had no involvement in this study or manuscript. MP serves on the Editorial Boards of PLOS Medicine & PLOS ONE. He is also a joint editor of the PLoS Tuberculosis Channel. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. None of the other authors have any competing interests to disclose.