[The need for information in biomedical research].

This paper focuses on the need of every researcher to be informed on advances in his field. It reviews the means available for keeping abreast of developments in a specific area of scientific inquiry. In the author's view, articles in reference journals on a specific specialty are the best source of information. However, the interval between the writing and publication of a scientific paper is sometimes long, which poses a considerable impediment to the use of the traditional media as a means of keeping up. He also examines the limitations of information in biomedical research and reviews the characteristics of this research in Latin America. Finally, he makes a number of recommendations for improving scientific communications and making the most of the services of national and international information dissemination systems.