Ten citation classics from the New Zealand Medical Journal

Although their contribution may go unrecognised at the time, if journal citations are indeed the “currency ” of science, then citation classics could justifiably be regarded as the “gold bullion”. This article examines the 10 most highly-cited articles published by the New Zealand Medical Journal (NZMJ), as of August 2007. By topic, the top cited article described a study of risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome among New Zealand infants, while 3 of the remaining 9 articles focused on asthma. Most citation classics from the NZMJ were comparatively recent, with the top cited article being published in 1991, 7 having been published in the 1980s, and 2 in the 1970s. Overall, this study clearly demonstrates the international relevance of New Zealand medical researchers, and the significant global impact of their findings for human health. If citations are, as some commentators have stated, the “currency ” of science,1 then citation classics could justifiably be regarded as the “gold bullion”. The term “citation classics ” was first described in 1977, to denote highly cite