[Bibliometric study of original articles in the Revista Española de Salud Pública (1991-2000). Part II: authors' productivity, their institutions and geographical areas].

BACKGROUND

When characterizing a scientific journal from the bibliometric standpoint, it is of importance to know how many authors were involved in the studies published as well as the geographical areas where these authors are located and the type of institutions by which they are employed. The aim of this article is that of analyzing the geographical spread of these authors and the institutions by which they are employed, as well as its evolution as regards the original articles published in the Revista Española de Salud Pública throughout the 1991-2000 period.

METHODS

Of the original articles published in the Revista Española de Salud Pública throughout the studied ten-year period, a calculation has been made as to the total number of authors, the number of occasional authors (authors having published solely one article), transitivity index, the ratio between the number of male and female authors, the productivity of the authors and their institutions and the spread of authors and the institutions by which they are employed by Autonomous Communities.

RESULTS

Of the original articles published in the Revista Española de Salud Pública throughout the 1991-2000 period, a total of 1,052 different authors were involved, 1,000 of whom were Spanish and 52 foreigners. The ratio of male authors to female authors for the period in question was 1.29. The Autonomous Communities from which the largest number of authors came were Community of Madrid (16.3%), Andalusia (13.4%) and the Community of Valencia (12.5%). The institutions by which the authors are employed are located most often in Community of Madrid (16.5%), in Community of Valencia (11.3%) and Andalusia and Catalonia (10.5%). A total of 37.6% of the authors work at centers devoted to health care, followed by authors who work at Universities (26.3%). On calculating the spread of the type of institution by Autonomous Communities, in the Community of Madrid and in the Community of Valencia and Andalusia, the most frequent institution is that of the primary care centers (50%, 43.3% and 28.6% respectively); and in Catalonia the specialized care centers (42.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

The Revista Española de Salud Pública is a scientific journal well known in the whole spanish territory and in the Latinoamerican countries. The productivity of the authors publishing in this journal, the productivity of their institutions where they work and that of Autonomous Regions where they belong to, is similar to other magazines. The productivity of the authors is greater when we look at other public health magazines or other countries.