In this paper, we take a data-driven approach to analyse intellectual trends over the first five decades of the (). Our data set, comprising all texts published in the since 1975, reveals not only the most distinctive topics of the in comparison to other key journals with similar profiles but also diachronic fluctuations in the prominence of certain topics. Overall, the distribution of topics shifted gradually, with each editorial period at the showing continuity with its immediate predecessor. However, a significant drift in topic distribution is evident over the 50 years, with some editorial periods being more 'disruptive' than others. These disruptions were influenced by external events (eg, ), broader trends in bioethics (eg, the recent growth of topics such as , and ) or editors' preferences (eg, ). Additionally, our data provides insights into editorials where editors outlined their visions for the journal or reflected retrospectively on their past editorship.
