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Scientific communications. History, electronic journals and impact factors
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
|May 7, 1999
Summary
The number of scientific journals is rapidly increasing, necessitating a focus on publication quality to manage information overload. The internet offers new opportunities for scientific information exchange but presents challenges in archiving and data integrity.
Area of Science:
- Bibliometrics
- Scholarly Communication
- Information Science
Background:
- Historical overview of scientific journal development.
- Exponential growth in scientific journal publication (7% annually).
- Increasing internationalization of national journals.
Observation:
- The internet has revolutionized scientific information exchange.
- Advantages include rapid publishing, subject-based cataloging, and accessibility.
- Challenges remain in electronic journal archiving and information integrity.
Findings:
- Publication quality must increase to cope with information flood.
- Internet facilitates rapid, accessible scientific information sharing.
- Impact factors are valuable but their importance is often overstated.
Implications:
- Need for strategies to enhance scientific publication quality.
- Addressing challenges of digital archiving and data security is crucial.
- Balanced use of bibliometric indicators for journal evaluation is recommended.