RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: This paper describes patterns in the international published literature regarding smoke-free spaces policy through a bibliometric analysis of journals, articles and authors from 1990 to 2009. METHODS: Secondary data from a recent systematic literature review were analyzed. Bibliometric techniques included statistical analysis of publication counts and co-citation analysis. Findings were generated through calculations of frequencies of journals, authors, and articles published per year. Analysis was conducted for five policy-relevant domains: public place, schools, private space, workplace, and tobacco industry tactics. RESULTS: Of the 5656 total articles examined, scientific articles written for the public place and workplace domains far outweighed those for schools, private spaces, and tobacco industry. This bibliometric analysis indicated that publication patterns aligned with patterns of policy activity and increasing sophistication in the evolution of smoke-free spaces policy development. This finding held for analyses by article, journal, and author over all years. The analysis also revealed relatively high numbers of unique authors publishing on smoke-free spaces policy each year. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified patterns regarding the publication of scientific articles, by varying journals and authors, and illustrated sub-field priorities both recently and for the entire 20-year period examined.