A Descriptive Analysis and Checklist Critique of the Articles in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, 1996 to 2007

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to conduct a bibliographic analysis and assessment of the literature published in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics (JCCP).MethodsThe content of the 13 existing issues of the JCCP (1996-2007) were assessed. Articles were categorized by type, and information concerning author affiliation, academic/professional background and gender were tabulated. A second-level analysis applied specific criteria checklists to applicable articles to determine the quality rating of each paper.ResultsThere were 72 articles included in the analysis, of which 46% were case reports, 17% editorials, 13% case series, 10% narrative literature reviews, 10% commentaries, 4% “other,” and 1% cross-sectional studies. Seventy-five percent of the authors were “private practitioners.” A certification in chiropractic pediatrics was held by 43% of the authors; 65% of the authors were females, and 83% of the articles had a single author. After applying the checklist to specific articles, 13 articles (18%) scored 40% or better (range of 40%-67%), whereas 59 articles (82%) scored less than 40%.ConclusionsThe findings of this analysis suggest there is room for improvement in article type and publication quality of papers in the JCCP.