Background:

Gerontological nursing is a highly interdisciplinary specialty. English-language bibliometric research is scarce.

Objectives: Study gerontological nursing literature to identify journals useful for nurses and researchers working with older adults, help librarians assist gerontological nursing authors to find publication outlets and make library collection decisions.

Methods: Using a combination of methods, the authors identified cited journals in the Journal of Gerontological Nursing (JGN) and Geriatric Nursing (GN) from 2008 to 2010 using part of the Nursing and Allied Health Resources (NAHRS) Section protocol. A list was generated and compared to the results of an earlier unpublished NAHRS study and an earlier review article. A second list was developed following set criteria of bibliometric indicators and journal lists.

Results: Zone 1 showed 28 journals, and Zone 2 had 1472 titles. Zone 1 journals were examined further based on the inclusion of certain bibliometrics and journal lists.

Discussion: Providing insight into the complementary use comparative review and citation mapping, this study reports an increase in gerontological nursing research from 2008 to 2010 across a diverse group of highly cited journals.

Conclusion: A list of new journal titles is presented to aid collection development and suggestions of places to publish gerontological research.