The Impact of Homeopathy
This issue’s diversity of articles comprises studies on the comparative effectiveness of Traumeel S for inflammatory complications of wisdom-tooth extraction surgery, defining the symptomatic homeopathic characteristics of mild and moderate coronavirus disease 2019 in Spain, the effect of nosodes on parasitism of lettuce plants by nematodes, and a large clinical case series of patients with acne.
Abstract
During the past 4 years, Homeopathy has consistently retained its annual journal impact factor (JIF) in the region of 1.5, which followed a period of several years during which the averagewas about 1.0. A temporary loss of JIF in 2015was evidently caused by an overly high number of citations to the journal coming from articles published in Homeopathy itself (known as the self-citation rate). It is relevant to note the types of non-Homeopathy journal article whose citations to our journal contribute currently to its JIF. A number of our most familiar authors have citedHomeopathy papers in their recently published articles: for example, those in Scientific Reports,1 PLoS One,2 Aquaculture Research,3 Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine,4 and Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde.5 Authors working outside the field of homeopathy have most frequently cited our journal on the subject of nanoparticles, in periodicals such as Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry,6Molecules,7Dose-Response,8 and Physical Chemistry Research.9 Apart from merely noting the rich mix of journals that reflect Homeopathy’s own diverse range of scientific topics, we shall be monitoring how these citation trends progress over the next few years, providing an indicator of homeopathy’s—and the journal’s— impact in the wider world of science. The current issue’s diversity of articles comprises studies on the comparative effectiveness of Traumeel S for inflammatory complications of wisdom-tooth extraction surgery,10 defining the symptomatic homeopathic characteristics of mild and moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Spain,11 the bioresilience to mercury chloride of brine shrimp after treatment with homeopathic Mercurius corrosivus,12 the effect of nosodes on parasitism of lettuce plants by nematodes,13 the preparation and standardization of specified bacterial and fungal nosodes,14 and a large clinical case series of patientswith acne.15 This issue is completed by two Hypothesis articles that are based respectively on the topics of quantum electrodynamics and of chromosomal structure,16,17 and by a personal reflection on contemporary homeopathy by Dr. Steven Kayne,18 former Pharmacy Dean of the Faculty of Homeopathy. The extent of these various contributions’ impact on citations to Homeopathy will be seen over the course of time.