[Health research at the Mexican Social Security Institute, a historical review].

After the establishment of the Mexican Social Security Institute, medical research developed beside health care activities. Since 1962, the journal Revista Médica del IMSS was formally edited and in 1963 the Central Office for Medical Education and Research was created. The production of the journal Archivos de Investigación Médica, in Spanish started in 1970, which in 1992 was transformed into Archives of Medical Research in English. In 1981, an administrative structure for the research carrier was designed including 6 categories. By 1985, after the conception of the National System of Investigators (1984), 77 IMSS researchers were recognized as national researchers. In 1986, 93 % of the scientific papers were published in national journals, five years later, more than a third of the publications were international, and from year 2000 this percentage doubled. Through the years decentralization and diversification occurred, with promotion of research on health systems and strengthening of clinical research. Today, the institutional research capacity comprises Biomedical Research Centers as well as Research Units on clinical epidemiology, specific medical topics and epidemiology and health systems.