Assessing the value of pediatrics journals

The pediatric literature comprises more than 500 journals. This paper reviews the relative impact of 63 pediatric journals and 26 highly cited journals that also publish pediatric articles. Using the objective measures of citation analysis and an understanding of the type of literature appropriate for one's purpose of study, physicians, scientists and students can avoid the pitfalls of information overload created by the proliferation of journals and information technology, while effectively extracting the clinical and basic science knowledge that will aid their reading and research. As the medical and scientific knowledge database continues to grow, knowing where to look for significant articles may likely become as important as knowing how to apply the information contained within them. Realizing that a significant portion of influential and important articles can be found in a relatively small group of journals can guide one's initial literature search, but one must also remember that equally valuable information can be found in other publications. Armed with the tools to minimize the field of less appropriate sources, one can more readily achieve the real purpose of a search, which is to uncover the bloom of knowledge and to nurture, cultivate and share it.