Citações nos artigos publicados na revista portuguesa de clínica geral: Análise da década 2000-2009

Abstract

Objectives: To analyze the citations of the articles published in the Revista Portuguesa de Clínica Geral (RPCG) between 2000 and 2009 following the free publication of the journal online. Type of study: Descriptive study. Setting: RPCG online. Unit of analysis: Citations of articles published between 2000 and 2009. Methods: A citation analysis of all articles published in RPCG between 2000 and 2009 was conducted. Citations were counted, the typology of the citations was identified, the frequency of citation of international and national periodicals was noted, and the most frequently cited databases were recorded. Results: The number of citations per article has increased since 2006. Articles from scientific publications were the source of most citations (66.27%). RPCG was the journal cited most often. Three of the most cited periodicals are among the 20 journals with the highest impact factor (New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet and JAMA). The most cited periodicals do not provide free access but they are found in several health libraries in Portugal. Most citations of databases (83.3%) are from after 2005. Conclusions: The authors of the articles published in RPCG preferred citations to scientific articles rather than congress proceedings or books. Three journals with high impact factors were the most cited. This study also found a preference for citing the RPCG itself. This is probably linked to open online access. There was also an increased demand for databases with well defined contents for the preparation of systematic reviews and evidence-based medicine reviews.