Abstract
ObjectiveThe aims of this study were to (i) assess the expectations of general practice departments regarding health sciences libraries’ subscriptions to journals and (ii) describe the current general practice journal collections of health sciences libraries.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was distributed electronically to the thirty-five university general practice departments in France. General practice departments were asked to list ten journals to which they expected access via the subscriptions of their health sciences libraries. A ranked reference list of journals was then developed. Access to these journals was assessed through a survey sent to all health sciences libraries in France. Adequacy ratios (access/need) were calculated for each journal.ResultsAll general practice departments completed the survey. The total reference list included 44 journals. This list was heterogeneous in terms of indexation/impact factor, language of publication, and scope (e.g., patient care, research, or medical education). Among the first 10 journals listed, La Revue Prescrire (96.6%), La Revue du Praticien–Médecine Générale (90.9%), the British Medical Journal (85.0%), Pédagogie Médicale (70.0%), Exercer (69.7%), and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (62.5%) had the highest adequacy ratios, whereas Family Practice (4.2%), the British Journal of General Practice (16.7%), Médecine (29.4%), and the European Journal of General Practice (33.3%) had the lowest adequacy ratios.ConclusionsGeneral practice departments have heterogeneous expectations in terms of health sciences libraries’ subscriptions to journals. It is important for librarians to understand the heterogeneity of these expectations, as well as local priorities, so that journal access meets users’ needs.
Highlights
Health sciences libraries’ missions include subscribing to journals and databases, purchasing books, and providing access to these resources through their websites [1]
We contacted all of chairs and heads of scientific programs of the thirty-five university general practice departments in France via email
The second question asked: “In order of importance, which are the ten principal journals that general practice departments should have access to via the subscriptions of health sciences libraries?” It was clearly stipulated that a response including colleagues should be given by consulting the whole team of the general practice department
Summary
Health sciences libraries’ missions include subscribing to journals (print or electronic) and databases, purchasing books, and providing access to these resources through their websites [1]. One current issue for librarians is the continuous increase in costs of subscriptions to journals and databases. The average price of a scientific periodical title was. $1,818 in 2016 versus $1,289 in 2011, with an annual inflation rate of 6% [2]. The selection of journal subscriptions highly depends on the budgets of jmla.mlanet.org (2) April 2018 libraries, which are currently declining in some countries [1, 3]. Each health sciences library is responsible for its own subscription strategy. Journal subscriptions are heterogeneous among universities, and their adequacy in meeting the needs of users of health sciences libraries is unclear [4]
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