100 citation classics in the melanoma literature: a bibliometric analysis.

BACKGROUND: Modern immunologic therapies targeting genetic mutations have created a renewed interest in melanoma research, and this is reflected in the increasing number of published works.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify the top 100 most cited articles in melanoma and to examine the characteristics of each individual article.

METHODS: Using an electronic database through the Web of Science, we were able to determine the 22 journals that contributed to the 100 most cited articles in melanoma.

RESULTS: Each article was examined individually looking at characteristics such as subject matter, article type, country of origin, institution, authorship, and year of publication. The New England Journal of Medicine contributed the most articles to the top 100 with 20 articles, whereas the most cited article originated from the Archives of Surgery and has been cited 2,384 times. The United States produced 74% of the top 100 articles, and the most prolific institution was the National Cancer Institute in Maryland with 18 articles.

CONCLUSION: This study has identified the most significant contributions to melanoma research over the past 63 years and identifies many important scientific breakthroughs and landmarks that have occurred during this time.