[The significance of publication in Dutch medical journals using an external peer review system]

Impact factors of the journals in which scientific work is published play an important part in the assessment of scientific research. Impact factors are determined by the number of citations in the international literature of articles published in journals which are indexed by Current Contents (Science Citation Index). Publications in Dutch scientific journals-not admitted to Current Contents--such as Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde ('Dutch Medical Journal')--score lower in the assessment of scientific research. At a conference organized by Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde it was emphasized that there should be more appreciation for the transfer of medical knowledge and experience in the Dutch language. It is estimated that not more than about 10% of the Dutch physicians read foreign medical journals. Publications in the Dutch language have an important role in the teaching process and affect the quality of health care. Scientific medical publications should not be judged only by the impact score based on the Science Citation Index. There should be a second scoring system for publications in Dutch medical journals using an external peer review system which are not admitted to Current Contents.