Abstract
This study examined citation patterns and indexing coverage from 2008 to 2010 to determine (1) the core literature of health care chaplaincy and (2) the resources providing optimum coverage for the literature. Citations from three source journals (2008-2010 inclusive) were collected and analyzed according to the protocol created for the Mapping the Literature of Allied Health Professions Project. An analysis of indexing coverage by five databases was conducted. A secondary analysis of self-citations by source journals was also conducted. The 3 source journals--Chaplaincy Today, the Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, and the Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling--ranked as the top 3 journals in Zone 1 and provided the highest number of most frequently cited articles for health care chaplaincy. Additional journals that appeared in this highly productive zone covered the disciplines of medicine, psychology, nursing, and religion, which were also represented in the Zones 2 and 3 journals. None of the databases provided complete coverage for the core journals; however, MEDLINE provided the most comprehensive coverage for journals in Zones 1 and 2, followed by Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ATLA. Self-citations for the source journals ranged from 9% to 16%. Health care chaplaincy draws from a diverse body of inter-professional literature. Libraries wishing to provide access to journal literature to support health care chaplaincy at their institutions will be best able to do this by subscribing to databases and journals that cover medical, psychological, nursing, and religion- or spirituality-focused disciplines.
Highlights
The Mapping the Literature of Allied Health Professions Project of the Nursing and Allied Health Resources Section (NAHRS) of the Medical Library Association has the goal of identifying core literature in the fields of allied health
The health care chaplaincy mapping study employed the methodology outlined in the NAHRS Mapping the Literature of Nursing and Allied Health Professions: Project Protocol [11]
The study evaluated the citation patterns from selected journals from the discipline of health care chaplaincy over a three-year period as an indicator of which journals provide the highest number of citations for the discipline
Summary
The Mapping the Literature of Allied Health Professions Project of the Nursing and Allied Health Resources Section (NAHRS) of the Medical Library Association has the goal of identifying core literature in the fields of allied health. It is hoped that this identification will be of great use to collection development librarians and library patrons involved in research and education in these fields. Each individual study in the larger project examines citation patterns over a three-year period for a specific discipline, identifying core journals, journals providing access to the most relevant literature, and databases that provide access to this literature. Since the early twentieth century, the practice of health care chaplaincy has evolved from ordained, faith-based chaplains to specially trained, interfaith spiritual care providers employed by health care organizations. Professional chaplains are expected to meet minimum standards of education, training, and
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