Bibliometric Study of Medical Reference Services Quarterly, 1982–2009

Abstract

Medical Reference Services Quarterly began publication in 1982, covering topics of current interest and practical value to public services librarians in medical and related specialties. Since then, it has expanded in scope to include more aspects of health sciences librarianship. This article is a systematic study of all 428 peer-reviewed articles published from 1982 through 2009, with a comprehensive description of content and a citation analysis. Content is extensively analyzed for article subject, and cited references are examined for subject, type of cited material, and average age. In addition, author, institutional, and regional productivity is determined and ranked.

KEYWORDS:

• Authorship
• bibliometric study
• citation analysis
• Medical Reference Services Quarterly
• publication patterns

Notes

*Percentage (actual number of articles).

Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont.

Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.

Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin.

Southwest: Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas; and West: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Colleen Kenefick

Colleen Kenefick, MLS, AHIP ([email protected]) is the Director of the Center for Healthcare Informatics Education, and Susan E. Werner, MLS, AHIP ([email protected]) is a Medical Librarian; both at Stony Brook University, Health Sciences Library, Stony Brook, NY 11794–8034.