Infectious diseases citation patterns: mapping the literature 2008–2010 |
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| Authors: | Melissa L Rethlefsen Alicia A Livinski |
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| Institution: | Email: , Education Technology Librarian and Assistant Professor of Medical Education, Mayo Clinic Libraries, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905;Email: , Informationist, NIH Library, National Institutes of Health, MSC 1150, 10 Center Drive, Building 10, Room 1L19b, Bethesda, MD 20892 |
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| Abstract: | Objectives:The research identified the publication types and ages most frequently cited in the infectious diseases literature and the most commonly cited journals.Methods:From 2008–2010, 5,056 articles in 5 infectious diseases journals cited 166,650 items. Two random samples were drawn: one (n?=?1,060) from the total set of citations and one (n?=?1,060) from the citations to journal articles. For each sample citation, publication type and date, age of cited item, and inclusion of uniform resource locator (URL) were collected. For each item in the cited journal articles sample, journal title, publication date, and age of the cited article were collected. Bradford zones were used for further analysis.Results:Journal articles (91%, n?=?963) made up the bulk of cited items, followed by miscellaneous items (4.6%, n?=?49). Dates of publication for cited items ranged from 1933–2010 (mean?=?2001, mode?=?2007). Over half (50.2%, n?=?483) of cited journal articles were published within the previous 5 years. The journal article citations included 358 unique journal titles.Discussion:The citations to current and older publications in a range of disciplines, heavy citation of journals, and citation of miscellaneous and government documents revealed the depth and breadth of resources needed for the study of infectious diseases.Highlights- Literature on infectious diseases is multidisciplinary, encompassing medical specialties, public health, and the medical sciences.
- Infectious disease publications cite journal articles more than 90% of the time. Cited journal articles greatly range in age at citation: more than a quarter were over 10 years old.
- Infectious disease citation patterns resemble clinical medicine citation patterns more than public health citation patterns.
Implications- Infectious disease professionals need access to general medicine titles as well as infectious disease, immunology, virology, microbiology, and public health literature.
- Librarians serving infectious disease researchers and practitioners should provide access to older materials, especially journal back files, to support the cyclical needs of their patrons.
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