[Introduction to documentation procedures in medical science: how to establish a bibliography?]

A literature search is the first step of all scientific research, and must include both historic and contemporary articles. The search starts with "secondary literature", i.e. reference works such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, guides, theses, etc. References should be given according to international norms. The next step is to consult large international databases such as Index Medicus, Pascal, Excerpta Medica and summary compilations like Medexpress, Medactua and Current Contents. Most can be consulted through a system of key words or themes. With the advent of personal computers, they can be accessed either on-line, or in the form of CD-Rom. Organization is the cornerstone of an effective literature search. Fortunately there are several computer programs written specifically to deal with this problem. Remember that a well-conducted and well-organized literature search will gain a considerable amount of time when it comes to writing the manuscript.