Fye W B
Ann Intern Med. 1987 Mar;106(3):451-60. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-106-3-451_1.
The literature of medicine is shaped by social and intellectual forces as well as by scientific discoveries. In America, the literature of internal medicine evolved gradually in response to changes in the structure and philosophy of medical education and the growing emphasis on research during the past century. When careers in medical education and research became possible through philanthropic and government support, Americans became more productive in research. As academic advancement came to depend primarily on publication, the literature of American internal medicine expanded dramatically. The current scope and character of the medical literature also reflect the persistent trend toward specialization and subspecialization that began more than a century ago. Although medical journals have been the most important medium for the publication of new medical knowledge for nearly 200 years, recent dramatic advances in the technology of information storage and transfer promise to undermine their primacy.
医学文献是由社会和知识力量以及科学发现塑造而成的。在美国，内科学文献在过去一个世纪里，随着医学教育结构和理念的变化以及对研究日益增长的重视而逐渐发展。当通过慈善和政府支持，医学教育和研究领域的职业成为可能时，美国人在研究方面变得更有成果。随着学术进步主要依赖于出版，美国内科学文献急剧增加。医学文献目前的范围和特点也反映了一个多世纪前就开始的持续的专业化和亚专业化趋势。尽管近200年来医学期刊一直是发表新医学知识的最重要媒介，但信息存储和传输技术最近的巨大进步有望削弱它们的主导地位。
