Related Experiment Videos
Mapping the literature of nursing: 1996-2000
Margaret Peg Allen1, Susan Kaplan Jacobs, June R Levy
1Peg Allen, Library Consultant, P.O. Box 2, 308 Kann Stratford, Wisconsin 54484-0002, USA.
Journal of the Medical Library Association : JMLA
|April 26, 2006
Summary
Nursing literature is widely dispersed across many sources, requiring nurses to search multiple databases for comprehensive information. Access to diverse bibliographic tools is crucial for effective research.
Area of Science:
- Bibliometrics
- Information Science
- Nursing Research
Background:
- A collaborative project by the Task Force on Mapping the Nursing Literature.
- Analyzed eighteen studies on general nursing and sixteen specialties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze citation patterns in nursing literature.
- To assess the coverage of nursing journals in major databases.
- To understand the interdisciplinary nature of nursing.
Main Methods:
- Citation analysis of journal articles from 1996-2000.
- Evaluation of cited formats, age, and journal frequency.
- Assessment of journal coverage in twelve health sciences and academic databases.
Main Results:
- Journals were the most cited format, with over 60% published within seven years.
- Bradford's law was confirmed, with a core of journals receiving a third of citations.
- Medical, science, CINAHL, and PubMed databases offered the best access to nursing and biomedical literature.
Conclusions:
- Nursing literature is dispersed, necessitating searches across multiple databases and disciplines.
- Libraries should offer access beyond PubMed, including CINAHL and academic databases.
- Database vendors must enhance coverage of nursing, biomedical, and psychosocial literature.