This document analyzes Nobel Prize winners over the last 109 years to compare those studying infection in medicine and physiology to literature winners. It finds that medicine and physiology laureates studied infection significantly more, with 64.9% of laureates in those fields compared to 35.1% in literature. Laureates studying infection were also significantly older on average, at 64.2 years old, than those not studying infection, who averaged 57.3 years old. The study provides statistical analysis to explore trends in gender, age, country represented, and subject of work among Nobel Prize winners.

1. Nobel Prizes Given to the Study of
Infection in the Last 109 Years: A
Comparison
Güssün Güneş
Koç University School of Nursing Library
Önder Ergönül
Koç University School of Medicine
RMHS 2011 18-22 July 2011,
İSTANBUL - TURKEY

2. BACKGROUND: The prestigious Nobel Prizes, accepted as the highest recognition awarded to scientific
study, have been presented to scientists in many fields since 1901 to support them in their work. A scan
of the literature does not reveal any scientific evaluation of Nobel Prize winners over the years. This study
is a comprehensive exploration and assessment of the Nobel prizes that have been awarded to scientists
beginning in 1901.
OBJECTIVE: The study reviews the general characteristics of the work of Nobel Laureates in the fields of
medicine/physiology and literature and attempts a comparison in terms of the statistical significance of
their work, particularly in the context and reference framework of infection.
HYPOTHESIS: As a significant agent of disease with the potential power to destroy the human race, infection
has been a subject that has long inspired the extensive attention of award-winning scientists in medicine
and physiology as well as of men of literature. Exploring and getting down to the root of the unknown will
attract the interest of more and more scientists in the future, ultimately diminishing the potential for mass
death and destruction.
METHODOLOGY: The research data was compiled from the official Nobel Prizes website. Statistical analysis
with STATA 11, chi-square and logistic regression analysis were performed.
REFERENCES
1-http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes

3. cins Freq. Percent Cum. Variable Obs Mean Std. Dev. Min Max
0 279 92.38 92.38 yas 302 59.71523 11.46445 32 88
1 23 7.62 100.00 ulke1 302 13.34768 10.44563 1 43
dogumyeri 302 18.11921 12.67243 1 51
Total 302 100.00
0
.015
1
.06
.01
.04
Density
Density
.005
.02
0
20 40 60 80 20 40 60 80
0
yas 1800 1850 1900 1950
Graphs by cins Birth Date

4. medicine
cins 0 1 Total
Gender Literatüre Medicine Total 0 94 185 279
Male 94 185 279 33.69 66.31 100.00
Female 12 11 23 1 12 11 23
52.17 47.83 100.00
Total 106 196 302 Total 106 196 302
35.10 64.90 100.00
. ttest yas, by( medicine) Pearson chi2(1) = 3.1863 Pr = 0.074
Two-sample t test with equal variances
Group Obs Mean Std. Err. Std. Dev. [95% Conf. Interval]
0 106 64.22642 .995162 10.24582 62.25319 66.19964
Gender Infection
1 196 57.27551 .8122415 11.37138 55.6736 58.87742
Male 29
combined 302 59.71523 .6597049 11.46445 58.41701 61.01345
Female 1
diff 6.950905 1.32508 4.343276 9.558534
Total 30
diff = mean(0) - mean(1) t = 5.2456
Ho: diff = 0 degrees of freedom = 300
Ha: diff < 0 Ha: diff != 0 Ha: diff > 0
Pr(T < t) = 1.0000 Pr(|T| > |t|) = 0.0000 Pr(T > t) = 0.0000

5. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
This study reviewed the Nobel Prize winners in
terms of their dates of birth, places of birth,
age when the award was received, gender,
the country they represented, and the
subject content of their work. The statistical
analyses revealed significant results
regarding gender, age and subject content

6. THANK YOU 
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