Background and objective: A
preference for English-language sources during determination of
Journal Impact Factors (IF) was discussed, IF being published in
the annual Journal Citation Reports (JCR). The JCR are derived from
data in Science Citation Index (SCI). The aim of this study was,
therefore, (i) to review publication countries and languages in
JCR, (ii) publication languages in SCI in comparison to further
recognised medical bibliographic databanks.
Methods: Searching (i) countries and
languages in JCR Science-Editions 1997 and 1998, (ii) language distributions
in publication years 1995-2000 in bibliographic databanks
SCI, MEDLINE (ME) and EMBASE (EM).
Results: (i) Almost 70 % journals
in JCR 1997 and 1998 were published in USA, United Kingdom, or The
Netherlands. Of two language options present, a number of English-classified journals contained > 90 % articles
in other languages, whereas > 90 % publications
in English could occur in Multi-Language (ML) journals,
thereby complicating statistical comparisons. 83,9 % JCR-periodicals
in 1997 and 85,6 % in 1998 were classified English. English/ ML ratios
increased exponentially with increasing IF. (ii) 95,5 % of
the articles documented 1995- 2000 in whole SCI and in
our constructed SCI segment ”Medicine and related areas” were
written in English, compared to 88,5 % in ME and
89,8 % in EM. The SCI Medicine segment was 15 % more comprehensive
than either MEDLINE or EMBASE. Highly significant differences of
language distributions in SCI vs. MEDLINE and especially SCI vs.
EMBASE were observed. Retrieval rates in SCI of German-, French-,
Japanese- and Chinese-language medical papers published in 2000
were impressively augmented by EMBASE and MEDLINE.
Conclusions: (i) Anglo-American publishers’ countries
and English- language journals prevail in JCR with respect to numbers and
IF levels. Publication language English favours citation frequency.
(ii) Of databanks studied, SCI shows a maximum preference for English-language
sources, thereby causing an English Language
Bias during IF derivation.
References
-
1
Barillot M J, Sarrut B, Doreau C G.
Evaluation of drug interaction
document citation in nine on-line bibliographic databases.
Ann
Pharmacother.
1997;
31
45-49
-
2
Barnaby D P, Gallagher E J.
Alternative
to the Science Citation Index impact factor as an assessment of
emergency medicine’s scientific contributions.
Ann
Emerg Med.
1998;
31
78-82
-
3
Beller F K.
Der
Zusammenhang zwischen Index Medicus, dem Impact Factor und der deutschen
Sprache.
Dtsch Med Wochenschr.
1999;
124
A18
-
4
Beller F K.
Die
Zukunft der deutschen Sprache in der Wissenschaft.
Gynakol
geburtshilfliche Rundsch.
2000;
40
50-54
(1)
-
5
Benitez-Bribiesca L.
The
impact factor of medical journals: its use and misuse.
Arch
Med Res.
1999;
30
161-162
-
6
Dietrich G V, Hempelmann G.
Welchen Stellenwert
hat eine Publikation in deutscher Sprache?.
Anasthesiol
Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther.
2000;
35
543-544
-
7
DIMDI. Deutsches Institut für Medizinische
Dokumentation und Information, Einstiegspunkt Database Searching
(SCISEARCH-, MEDLINE-, EMBASE-Memocards; grips command language).
Internet
URL http://www.dimdi.de/.
-
8
Finzen A, Hoffmann-Richter U, Dittmann V, Haug H J.
Deutsch lesen - Englisch
schreiben. Fachzeitschriften zwischen Science Citation Index und
Nulltarif.
Psychiat Prax.
1996;
23
1-3
-
9
Gallagher E J, Barnaby D B.
Evidence of
methodological bias in the derivation of the Science Citation Index
impact factor.
Ann Emerg Med.
1998;
31
83-86
-
10
Garfield E.
How
can impact factors be improved?.
Br Med J.
1996;
313
411-413
-
11
Garfield E.
The
Impact Factor.
Internet URL www.isinet.com/isi/hot/essays/journalcitationreports/7.html
(as of XXI-02 - 2002).
-
12
Gieler A.
Zur
Evaluierung der Forschungsleistung eines Universitätsklinikums.
Dtsch
Med Wochenschr.
2000;
125
979-983
-
13
Golder W.
Der
Impact Factor: eine kritische Analyse.
ROFO Fortschr Geb
Rontgenstr Neuen Bildgeb Verfahr.
1998;
169
220-226
(3)
-
14
Golder W.
Wer
kontrolliert die Kontrolleure? Zehn Thesen zum sogenannten Impact
Factor.
Onkologie.
2000;
23
73-75
-
15
Haller U, Hepp H, Reinold E.
Tötet
der ”Impact Factor” die deutsche Sprache?.
Gynakol
geburtshilfliche Rundsch.
1997;
37
117-118
-
16
ISI. Science Citation Index; Science
Citation Index Expanded; SciSearch.
Internet URL http://www.isinet.com/products/citation/citsci.html.
-
17
Kleijnen J, Knipschild P.
The comprehensiveness
of MEDLINE and EMBASE computer searches. Searches for controlled
trials of homoeopathy, ascorbic acid acid for common cold and gingko
biloba for cerebral insufficiency and intermittent claudication.
Pharm
Weekbl Sci.
1994;
14
316-320
-
18
Meenen N M.
Der
Impact-Faktor - ein zuverlässiger scientometrischer Parameter?.
Unfallchirurgie.
1997;
23
128-134
(4)
-
19
Middeke M.
Zukunft
braucht Herkunft - Die DMW im Jahr 2000.
Dtsch
Med Wochenschr.
2000;
125
1099-1102
(38)
-
20
Seglen P O.
Citations
and journal impact factors: questionable indicators of research
quality.
Allergy.
1997;
52
1050-1056
-
21
Stegmann J.
Building
a list of journals with constructed impact factors.
Journal
of Documentation.
1999;
55
310-324
-
22 Stegmann J. Zitierstatus
von MEDLINE- und Nicht-MEDLINE-Artikeln. Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Informationswissenschaft und Informationspraxis (DGI) 1999. 51.
Jahrestagung, Hamburg; 21 - 23.
September: S. 147-158
-
23
Winkmann G, Schweim H G.
Medizinisch-biowissenschaftliche
Datenbanken und der Impact-Faktor.
Dtsch Med Wochenschr.
2000;
125
1133-1141
(38)
-
24
Woods D, Trewheellar K.
MEDLINE and EMBASE complement
each other in literature searches.
Br Med J.
1998;
316
1166
correspondence
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil Harald G Schweim
Commissioned Director (until May 2002), Deutsches Institut für Medizinische Dokumentation
und Information - DIMDI, 50899 Cologne
President, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices - BfArM
Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger Allee 3
53175 Bonn, Germany
Phone: +49/228/207 3203/3204
Fax: +49/228/207 5514
Email: schweim@bfarm.de
