Use of Journal Literature by Biomedical Researchers in the Philippines: A Case Study Using Citation Analysis

Abstract

Examines the characteristics of literature sources cited by Philippine biomedical researchers (PBR) using citation analysis. Form of publications country of publication, language, age and scatter of journal citations over journal titles are studies. Aero Medica Philippina (AMP) 1977-81 was the source journal used in the study. Journal citations accounted for 81.50/0; about 48% of the journals cited came from USA, and over 63% of the non-journal materials cited also came from USA. English language materials were the most frequently cited. The age distribution of journal citations had a wide range: 0-141 years, with a median age of 10 years. A large percentage of non-current materials were cited: 90% of the total citations being 3-39 years old. Cole's formula on the relationship of usage and age of journal citations as of the exponential type was applicable to the AMP data. The computed rate at which journal citations became less useful was - 0.08, and Cole's median age of journal citations was 9.1 years. The retention schedule for biomedical journals to satisfy 80% of PBR's demand was 21 years. The scatter of citations over journal titles conformed to Bradford's Law. The three Bradfords zones of journal productivity ill the present study consisted of 15,51. and 191 journal titles. A comparison of the 66 frequently cited journals with the holdings of the University of the Philippines Medical Library indicated that the latter served. authoritative sources. Nevertheless, the study indicated a need for strengthening current awareness services in the UP Medical Library; resource sharing among medical and other science libraries; and the implementation of appropriate biomedical journal retention schedule in order to meet users' requests at an optimal level.