Article type
Year
Abstract
Objective: Locate all the periodical publications in health sciences both indexed and not indexed - that are based in Spain, to serve as a database for identifying controlled clinical trials.
Methods: Descriptive field study. Manual and electronic location of periodical publications in health sciences based in Spain using the following information sources: 1. Spanish Index Medicus (IME, begun in 1964 and computerized since 1971), principal national registry that includes publications from Spanish health science journals; 2. The Scientific Information and Documentation Center (CINDOC) CD (C17, Catalog of periodic publications in health sciences that can be found in Spanish scientific libraries); 3. Catalogs of periodical publications in the health sciences that are based in different autonomic communities; 4. Others (for example, notifications by individuals).
Results: Currently 429 journals have been identified (as of April 1997). The currently available data correspond to the location of periodical publications using the following information sources mentioned above: 1, 3 (partially) and 4. The exhaustive revision of source 2 is forthcoming. Of all the journals identified up to this moment (April 1997) 73% (313) were indexed in the IME. The rest (116) were identified by consulting collective health science catalogs as well as being reported by collaborators.
Discussion: For an exhaustive identification of the health science publications in Spain is not enough to consult the IME, and complementary strategies must be used. The final results of this study will make it possible to establish the most efficient search strategies for future systematic reviews in Spain, as well as direct proposals for improving the current sources of scientific information in Spain.
Methods: Descriptive field study. Manual and electronic location of periodical publications in health sciences based in Spain using the following information sources: 1. Spanish Index Medicus (IME, begun in 1964 and computerized since 1971), principal national registry that includes publications from Spanish health science journals; 2. The Scientific Information and Documentation Center (CINDOC) CD (C17, Catalog of periodic publications in health sciences that can be found in Spanish scientific libraries); 3. Catalogs of periodical publications in the health sciences that are based in different autonomic communities; 4. Others (for example, notifications by individuals).
Results: Currently 429 journals have been identified (as of April 1997). The currently available data correspond to the location of periodical publications using the following information sources mentioned above: 1, 3 (partially) and 4. The exhaustive revision of source 2 is forthcoming. Of all the journals identified up to this moment (April 1997) 73% (313) were indexed in the IME. The rest (116) were identified by consulting collective health science catalogs as well as being reported by collaborators.
Discussion: For an exhaustive identification of the health science publications in Spain is not enough to consult the IME, and complementary strategies must be used. The final results of this study will make it possible to establish the most efficient search strategies for future systematic reviews in Spain, as well as direct proposals for improving the current sources of scientific information in Spain.