ArticleHealth research policy and systems2026
Citation and policy influence of research using demographic and health survey data: a bibliometric analysis.
Article in Health research policy and systems, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Trends in demographic and health survey publications based on a bibliometric analysis.Global health action · 2026Pooled it
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundWhile citation counts are critical metrics for scholarly impact of research articles, they cannot objectively measure other impacts of research to society. Research articles have broader impact beyond academic, including informing health policy-making, planning and practice, but this utility has not been systematically examined for the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS)-based publications. This paper examines both the academic and policy-related impacts of DHS-based articles.
methodsA systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Wiley Online Library and Dimensions and grey literature (theses and dissertations) to identify DHS-based publications since 1984. Academic impact was assessed through journal destinations, scope, accessibility and citation counts. To assess policy impact, this study utilizes the Overton database to identify citations of scientific research in policy documents.
resultsCitation to DHS-based publications have increased over the last four decades, contributing significantly to the public health evidence that has been utilized for academic and policy in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Multidisciplinary and open-access journals such as PLOS One have predominantly published DHS-citation related research, often led by researchers from high-income countries (HICs). While open-access has improved accessibility for LMIC-led research, citation impact is skewed towards HIC-led studies, suggesting inequities in the citation impact landscape. The steady increase in both scholarly and policy citations indicates that DHS-based research is an important resource for academic and global health policy-making.
conclusionsDHS-based evidence plays a critical role in both academic and policy spheres. Its consistent citation growth demonstrates the scientific value of open, standardized, nationally representative data and its citation growth in policy documents underscores the need for continued investment in the programme to support evidence-based decision-making in LMICs.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.