Identification and analysis of classic articles and sleeping beauties in neurosciences

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the properties of neuroscience articles highly cited at present, based on the overall neuroscience literature. Results reveal 387 classic articles that have been cited at least 1000 times from the Web of Science since their publication to the end of 2016. Data showed that the 1990s was the most prolific decade in terms of classic articles published, and that USA, UK and Canada were the major contributors. Harvard University and Stanford University, USA, were the most dominant institutes. Moreover, there was one classic sleeping beauty, a paper published with scarce citations for a long period before being cited frequently.