Academic

A study reported in 1964 of journal circulation in the Columbia and Yale Medical libraries during a 6-month period for Columbia and a 1-year period for Yale [total circulation not given] showed thatthe number of journals needed to supply various use levels was as follows:

                  4 journal titles                      10% of total journal use   

                10 journal titles                      20% of total journal use

                63 journal titles                      50% of total journal use

              262 journal titles                      80% of total journal use

              920 journal titles                    100% of total journal use                (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatthe 6 most frequently used journal titles were:

                Biochimica et Biophysica Acta                       238 uses

                Journal of Biological Chemistry                     206 uses

                American Journal of Medicine                       169 uses

                Nature                                                            167 uses

                Lancet                                                             157 uses

                New England Journal of Medicine                 145 uses                (Source)

A study reported in 1972 of the citations listed in articles presented in the Annual Review of Medicine (international coverage) for the years 1965-69 (975 periodical titles; 14,201 periodical citations) showed thatthe 9 most cited periodicals were:

                Journal of Clinical Investigation. Baltimore.                                                              (618 citations; 4.35% of total)

                Lancet. London.                                                                                                          (511 citations; 3.60% of total)

                New England Journal of Medicine. Boston.                                                               (415 citations; 2.92% of total)

                American Journal of Physiology. Boston.                                                                  (391 citations; 2.75% of total)

                Journal of Experimental Medicine. New York.                                                         (357 citations; 2.51% of total)

                American Journal of Medicine. New York.                                                               (323 citations; 2.27% of total)

                Nature. London.                                                                                                         (310 citations; 2.18% of total)

                Journal of the American Medical Association. Chicago.                                           (291 citations; 2.05% of total)

                Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. New York.     (280 citations; 1.97% of total)                (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatof the 275 most cited journals (13,023 citations) the top 4 subject areas (out of 17) represented by the citations were clinical medicine—specialties (34.02% citations), clinical medicine—general (21.58% citations), physiology (12.88% citations), and experimental medicine (7.33% citations).                     (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatof the 275 most cited journals (13,023 citations) the top 5 countries of publication were United States (150 or 54.55% of total journals), Britain (48 or 17.45% of total journals), Germany (18 or 6.55% of total journals), Switzerland (14 or 5.09% of total journals), and France (13 or 4.73% of total journals).                       (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatof the 275 most cited journals (13,023 citations) 217 (78.91%) journals were published in English; 35 (12.73%) were published in multilingual text using a combination of English, French, or German; 11 (4%) were published in French; 6 (2.18%) were published in German; and 6 (2.18%) were published in some other language or combination of languages.                  (Source)

A 1975-76 study of journal title usage through the extension services of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Library (Oklahoma City) to hospital clients (4,216 articles from 1,055 journal titles requested) showed thatthe 4 most requested titles were:

                British Medical Journal                                                  81 requests; 49 requesters

                Lancet                                                                             73 requests; 36 requesters

                New England Journal of Medicine                                 67 requests; 39 requesters

                Journal of the American Medical Association               53 requests; 35 requesters                     (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatranking journal use by number of requesters was not the same as ranking journal use by number of requests. Although the 4 titles with the most requests were also the 4 titles with the most requesters (though the ranked order differs slightly), the 20 titles with the most requests included 6 titles that were not among the 20 titles with the most requesters.                   (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatthe journal titles requested by individuals in hospitals without libraries were different from the journal titles requested by libraries with hospitals. Of 27 journal titles requested 15 times or more by individuals and 7 journal titles requested 15 times or more by libraries, only 1 title appeared in common—the British Medical Journal.                      (Source)

A 1976 survey of physicians associated with hospitals in a 17-county region of upstate New York (Health Service Area V) based on a systematic sample of “approximately 40%” of the physicians in each county (survey size: 592 physicians; responding: 258 or 45.6%) showed thatrespondents personally subscribed to an average of 4.1 professional journals, with “nearly 40% claiming five or more subscriptions.” The 4 most frequently reported journals were (multiple responses allowed):

                Journal of the American Medical Association                     26.0% physicians

                New England Journal of Medicine                                       24.4% physicians

                Annals of Internal Medicine                                                 13.6% physicians

                New York State Journal of Medicine                                    12.8% physicians                (Source)

A study reported in 1979 comparing 5 core lists of medical journals showed thata composite list of 450 titles resulted. 37 titles appeared on all 5 lists, while 72 titles appeared on 4 or more lists. There was no clear relationship between the number of lists on which a journal appeared and the citation frequency to articles in the journal as reported in Journal Citation Reports. A list of the 72 journals appearing on 4 or more lists was given.      (Source)

Special

A study reported in 1964 of journal circulation in the Columbia and Yale Medical libraries during a 6-month period for Columbia and a 1-year period for Yale [total circulation not given] showed that the number of journals needed to supply various use levels was as follows:

                  4 journal titles               10% of total journal use

                10 journal titles               20% of total journal use

                63 journal titles               50% of total journal use

               262 journal titles              80% of total journal use

               920 journal titles            100% of total journal use                  (Source)

Ibid....showed that the 6 most frequently used journal titles were:

                Biochimica et Biophysica Acta            238 uses

                Journal of Biological Chemistry           206 uses

                American Journal of Medicine             169 uses

                Nature                                                167 uses

                Lancet                                                157 uses

                New England Journal of Medicine       145 uses                (Source)

A survey reported in 1969 of selected physicians in Virginia concerning the development of a basic journal list for small hospital libraries (hospitals of 100-300 beds) (survey size: [no number given]; responding: 23 physicians) showed that an average of 42 journal titles was recommended per respondent. Five respondents felt that less than 20 journal titles would be sufficient, while 3 respondents recommended collections "of over 70 titles." A list of 48 basic journals was given.            (Source)

A study reported in 1972 of the citations listed in articles presented in the Annual Review of Medicine (international coverage) for the years 1965-69 (975 periodical titles; 14,201 periodical citations) showed that the 9 most cited periodicals were:

                Journal of Clinical Investigation. Baltimore.                                                                          (618 citations; 4.35% of total)

                Lancet. London.                                                                                                                      (511 citations; 3.60% of total)

                New England Journal of Medicine. Boston.                                                                           (415 citations; 2.92% of total)

                American Journal of Physiology. Boston.                                                                              (391 citations; 2.75% of total)

                Journal of Experimental Medicine. New York.                                                                     (357 citations; 2.51% of total)

                American Journal of Medicine. New York.                                                                           (323 citations; 2.27% of total)

                Nature. London.                                                                                                                     (310 citations; 2.18% of total)

                Journal of the American Medical Association. Chicago.                                                       (291 citations; 2.05% of total)

                Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. New York.                 (280 citations; 1.97% of total)                (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatof the 275 most cited journals (13,023 citations) the top 4 subject areas (out of 17) represented by the citations were clinical medicine—specialities (34.02% citations), clinical medicine—general (21.58% citations), physiology (12.88% citations), and experimental medicine (7.33% citations).                      (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatof the 275 most cited journals (13,023 citations) the top 5 countries of publication were United States (150 or 54.55% of total journals), Britain (48 or 17.45% of total journals), Germany (18 or 6.55% of total journals), Switzerland (14 or 5.09% of total journals), and France (13 or 4.73% of total journals).                        (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatof the 275 most cited journals (13,023 citations) 217 (78.91%) journals were published in English; 35 (12.73%) were published in multilingual text using a combination of English, French, or German; 11 (4%) were published in French; 6 (2.18%) were published in German; and 6 (2.18%) were published in some other language or combination of languages.                  (Source)

A 1975-76 study of journal title usage through the extension services of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Library (Oklahoma City) to hospital clients (4,216 articles from 1,055 journal titles requested) showed thatthe 4 most requested titles were:

                British Medical Journal                                           81 requests; 49 requesters

                Lancet                                                                     73 requests; 36 requesters

                New England Journal of Medicine                         67 requests; 39 requesters

                Journal of the American Medical Association        53 requests; 35 requesters                (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatranking journal use by number of requesters was not the same as ranking journal use by number of requests. Although the 4 titles with the most requests were also the 4 titles with the most requesters (though the ranked order differs slightly), the 20 titles with the most requests included 6 titles that were not among the 20 titles with the most requesters.                     (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thatthe journal titles requested by individuals in hospitals without libraries were different from the journal titles requested by libraries with hospitals. Of 27 journal titles requested 15 times or more by individuals and 7 journal titles requested 15 times or more by libraries, only 1 title appeared in common—the British Medical Journal.                       (Source)

        Ibid…. showed thathealth professionals in hospitals without libraries needed more recent information than their counterparts in hospitals with libraries. 82.3% of the journal articles requested by individuals had been published within the last 5 years, and 91.8% of the journal articles requested by individuals had been published within the last 10 years, while 74.6% of the articles requested by libraries had been published within the last 5 years, and 86.7% had been published within the last 10 years.                       (Source)

A 1976 survey of physicians associated with hospitals in a 17-county region of upstate New York (Health Service Area V) based on a systematic sample of “approximately 40%” of the physicians in each county (survey size: 592 physicians; responding: 258 or 45.6%) showed thatrespondents personally subscribed to an average of 4.1 professional journals, with “nearly 40% claiming five or more subscriptions.” The 4 most frequently reported journals were (multiple responses allowed):

                Journal of the American Medical Association               26.0% physicians

                New England Journal of Medicine                                 24.4% physicians

                Annals of Internal Medicine                                           13.6% physicians

                New York Stale Journal of Medicine                              12.8% physicians                (Source)

A study reported in 1979 comparing 5 core lists of medical journals showed thata composite list of 450 titles resulted. 37 titles appeared on all 5 lists, while 72 titles appeared on 4 or more lists. There was no clear relationship between the number of lists on which a journal appeared and the citation frequency to articles in the journal as reported in Journal Citation Reports. A list of the 72 journals appearing on 4 or more lists was given.                       (Source)

Dr. David Kohl

 "Libraries in the digital age are experiencing the most profound transformation since ancient Mesopotamian scribes first began gathering and organizing cuneiform tablets."

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