["...to offer valuable and entertaining stuff". Reader survey of the Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association 1999].

The Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association performs regular reader surveys. 1,643 readers, (74%), i.e. 245 medical students (62%), 1,276 active physicians (78%) and 122 retired physicians (66%), responded in 1999 to a questionnaire on their use of and satisfaction with the journal. Two out of three had read or browsed through the six most recent issues of the journal. Two out of three readers seldom had time to read all the articles they wanted to read, and a quarter of the readers felt that the issues were published with too short intervals (30 per year). Clinical reviews were most frequently read, by all categories of readers. Female readers were interested in news and debates, while male readers were more interested in organisational matters. Nine out of ten said that the journal gave valuable information, and two out of five thought there should be more articles on ethics and legal issues. Time spent on each issue has declined throughout the 1990s, parallel to a general tendency for Norwegians to spend less time reading various publications, and the increased quest for physicians' time and attention from various publishers and producers. The majority of readers are content with the journal in its present form, but there seems to be a potential for improvement, particularly with regard to stimulating clinical research and excellence, and to promoting health policy issues. In its 119th year of existence, the journal still plays a major role in the professional update of Norwegian physicians.