[The current problems of investigations into thanatogenesis and the causes of death considered in the articles published in the journal "Sudebno-meditsinskaya ekspertiza (Forensic Medical Expertise)" during the period from 2000 to 2014].

The objective of the present work was the analysis of the scientometrical characteristics of the publication activity of the authors of the articles concerning the problems of investigations into thanatogenesis and the causes of death that were submitted for the publication in the journal "Sudebno-meditsinskaya ekspertiza" during the period from 2000 to 2014. The analysis was aimed at detecting the priority fields of research of interest not only for domestic but especially for foreign specialists. The study has revealed the most popular Russian-language and foreign journals that were most frequently cited by the authors of "Sudebno-meditsinskaya ekspertiza". It was shown that the largest number of publications were submitted by the research groups affiliated with the departments and other subdivisions of the practical expert institutions of Moscow, Sankt-Petersburg, Astrakhan, Krasnodar, Baku, and Krasnoyarsk. It is concluded that the further analysis and assessment of the research activities of specialist in forensic medical expertise with the use of scientometrical methods constitute the indispensable condition for the development and improvement of the quality of forensic medical expertise in the Russian Federation.