Executive Summary
Chinese Medicine has a rich history that plays an important role in contemporary healthcare. This report presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research on Chinese Medicine from 2014 to 2023, highlighting its development, shifting research focuses, impact on other fields, and key contributors. It outlines the Chinese Medicine research landscape, showcasing how this ancient medical practice evolves and thrives with modern science.
Hong Kong Baptist University and Elsevier have collaborated to conduct this bibliometric analysis of Chinese Medicine research based on scientific publications in the field identified from the Scopus database from 2014 to 2023.
Chinese Medicine in Numbers
Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of total output
Percentage of publications in the field ranking in the top 10% most cited publications globally
Percentage of citing publications of Chinese Medicine research in the field of Medicine
Percentage of research output in Chinese Medicine being mentioned by global media
Key Findings
Chinese Medicine research output primarily falls within Medicine, specifically Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Chinese Medicine field demonstrates greater cross-disciplinary characteristics than general Medicine research, both in terms of knowledge citation patterns and author collaboration across different subject areas.
Analysis of high-output research topics reveals a sustained focus on acupuncture-related therapies, reflecting ongoing efforts to enhance the credibility and applicability of Chinese Medicine in contemporary healthcare. There is an increasing trend towards applying interdisciplinary approaches and the integration of modern medical technologies.
Chinese mainland dominates the key contributing countries/regions to Chinese Medicine research output, followed by the United States. Hong Kong SAR (China) has shown particularly notable progress in publication volume and scholarly impact over the recent five years, while Macao SAR (China) leads in per-author output. Leading institutions in Chinese Medicine research are also primarily from the Chinese mainland and demonstrate prominent growth in research output.
Hong Kong SAR (China) stands out in international & regional collaboration in Chinese Medicine. The region has expanded its research partnerships over the past decade, establishing significant collaborations with the Chinese mainland, the United States, and other countries or regions. Its high collaboration rate and citation impact substantially surpass the global average.
Modernising Chinese Medicine includes standardised reporting frameworks, evidence-based clinical protocols, and innovative approaches, these advances have accelerated the integration of Chinese Medicine practices into modern healthcare frameworks.
