State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics，West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
J Dent Educ. 2023 Dec;87(12):1661-1675. doi: 10.1002/jdd.13350. Epub 2023 Aug 10.
This study employs bibliometric analysis to compare knowledge units and main topics in undergraduate and postgraduate endodontic education, aiming to identify similarities, differences, and connections. The insights gained are expected to inform the future of two-stage education to enhance continuity, highlighting evolving trends, challenges, and development directions.
Citation data were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collections (WOSCC) database and non-WOSCC databases with two separate search formulas. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to analyze the distribution of research by publication years, citation-sources, co-authorship network of authors and countries, and clusters of keywords.
The focus on undergraduate education preceded postgraduate education by nearly a decade. The United Kingdom has emerged as the most prominent contributor to endodontic literature at both levels, with the International Endodontic Journal representing the most voluminous and cited resource in this domain. Dummer is recognized as the most prolific author in undergraduate endodontic education, while Gulabivala spearheads the most extensive cluster of postgraduate education. Keywords clustering analysis reveals that undergraduate education places greater emphasis on fundamental knowledge, while postgraduate education concentrates more on clinical practice. Descriptive analyses from non-WOSCC databases align with the topics and findings from WOSCC-based bibliometric analysis.
This bibliometric analysis revealed the emphasis on fundamental knowledge and teaching techniques at the undergraduate level versus advanced clinical knowledge and techniques at the postgraduate level, which originated from different learning aims and contexts. Updating the curriculum to meet the latest practices and innovations is crucial for aligning learning objectives with current and future needs, and the connection between the two levels remains a central challenge in endodontic education.
本研究采用文献计量分析比较本科和研究生牙髓病学教育中的知识单元和主要主题，旨在识别相似点、差异和联系。预计这些见解将为两阶段教育的未来提供信息，以增强连续性，突出不断发展的趋势、挑战和发展方向。
引文数据从 Web of Science 核心合集（WOSCC）数据库和非 WOSCC 数据库中使用两个单独的搜索公式检索。VOSviewer 和 CiteSpace 用于分析按出版年份、引文来源、作者和国家的合著网络以及关键词聚类分布的研究。
本科教育的重点比研究生教育早了近十年。英国在两个层面上都成为牙髓病学文献的最突出贡献者，国际牙髓病杂志是该领域最具卷册和被引资源。Dummer 被认为是本科牙髓病学教育中最多产的作者，而 Gulabivala 则引领着研究生教育中最多产的集群。关键词聚类分析显示，本科教育更注重基础知识，而研究生教育更注重临床实践。非 WOSCC 数据库的描述性分析与基于 WOSCC 的文献计量分析的主题和发现一致。
这项文献计量分析揭示了本科教育强调基础知识和教学技术，而研究生教育则强调高级临床知识和技术，这源于不同的学习目标和背景。更新课程以适应最新实践和创新对于将学习目标与当前和未来的需求保持一致至关重要，而两个层次之间的联系仍然是牙髓病学教育的核心挑战。
